Abandon Yourself to God
July 22, 2009
According to Webster Merriam Dictionary an addict is one who abandons oneself, to become physiologically or psychologically dependent in a compulsive or obsessive manner to a habit, practice, or substance. The core issue is stated in this definition… ‘Abandoning Oneself’. Who or what are you abandoning yourself to? An addict chooses to fulfill their needs by using an outside source, drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, etc. they become a slave to their addiction in an attempt to perpetuate the fulfillment of their need.
However, God has asked us to abandon ourselves to Him and ultimately He is the source for our provision. From the very beginning He has given us the choice to rely on Him for our strength, however, we in all of our humanity often choose to rely on our own strength… this fails us, so we turn to other sources to meet those needs, to numb us to our inability to have control over our lives, to stay on top, to be in charge, to “have it all together”; or maybe just to make it through the day. As long as you continue to think that you can get out of this by your own strength and resources, you will continue to try.
You’re trying to save your pride and that is keeping you from experiencing the grace of God. Many of us try overcoming addiction on our own; some of us put our confidence in secular programs and popular strategies. These may help addicts achieve a degree of abstinence, but the emotional, mental and spiritual freedom for which they long for will continue to elude them. We can not achieve total control of our lives by sheer human effort. Ironically, when we surrender to the Lordship of Christ we experience self-control, which is a Fruit of the Spirit. We are saved and sanctified by faith not by how we behave.
Paul wrote ‘not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants to a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.’ (2 Cor. 3:5-6)
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