Addictive behaviours take all shapes – not just what is typically seen as an addiction: drugs, smoking, alcohol, gambling. Addictive behaviour, or life-controlling behaviour, truly can be anything: food cravings / control, phone scrolling, porn / masturbation, spending too much time at work, exercise regimes. I think humans are capable of making anything, even good things, into an idol, which affects our relationships with ourselves, our families and ultimately our relationship with Jesus.
Most of these behaviours come with guilt and shame, as we know we “shouldn’t” be doing these things, or feeling / thinking this way, but we find it hard to stop. The more we do these things, the more guilty we feel, and we become lonely and isolated in our guilt and shame – we don’t want to tell other “good” Christians about how we are struggling, as what would they think of us? So, we persist in our alone-ness and think that we are the only ones struggling with these things.
Romans 7:15 says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.”
Free! Recovery is a great course to dig into our addictive practices and get support and encouragement along the way, hopefully leading to change in the way we think, feel and behave. Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.
Each week we meet online and the meeting starts with a video testimony from one of the team after which we talk through a bible verse, usually from Galatians, to help us think through something more deeply: a barrier or self-talk that is unhelpful, practising being grateful. Then we break into separate breakout rooms for men and women to have some small group time together, which gives everyone a brief time to share/talk (although there is never any pressure, and you can just be there) ending in a brief prayer for each person. Then we go back to the main group for a goodbye blessing.
I cannot say I do not still struggle with my addictive behaviours sometimes, but I am keeping on persevering in my journey, trying each day to live with Jesus as my number one, knowing He knows everything about me, my worst self, yet still loves me totally.
This is one of my favourite verses, especially when I feel a failure:
Philippians 1:6 – “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
If you want to know more – do speak to or email Rachel, Sharon or your congregational leader. Information about the upcoming Free! Recovery course will be in next week’s church family email.