Addictions & Obsessions

For a long time I deemed myself a passionate person, and that may be so.  But, I'm having to redefine what that means.  Over these past few years, God has been showing me how addicted and obsessed my life has been on various things.  Once I fixate on something, I cling to it for dear life and get all I can out of that.

Addictions and obsessions take hold of your life and there is a very unhealthy draw.  I would deem there is a demonic draw to something.  This can be to objects, to ideas, to things you are doing, people, anything.  The Bible says that anything that we hold up and worship is an idol and that is wrong.

Though I have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and He is my personal Savior, I do believe there are demonic forces that can influence my life from the past as well as the present.  There are things that I may encourage in my life for these ungodly forces to remain and even to grow stronger.

Now, this may all sound eerie and strange, like I am a bit crazy.  What about the anorexic person who thinks he or she is fat when they are obviously way too thin for the normal person?  What about the person hooked on heroine or the workaholic that can't stop working because his identity is totally wrapped up in his work?  What about the man who feels the need to feel powerful so he must conquer women by whatever way he deems good in his mind?  What about the person that constantly buys things she doesn't need and spends far more than she has.  The list really is endless on the things people are addicted to.

Those addictions and obsessions are a stronghold, and it's not a godly stronghold, rather a demonic stronghold.  The devil wants you to believe the lie that without that addiction, you are nothing.  When, in fact, the Bible, God's Word, says the very opposite.  God said each person in this world is so valuable that He gave His only Son to die on the Cross for our sins.  Yes, that's your sin and my sin.

I used to be addicted to exercise, the need to control, analyzing things to death, the internet, chatting, men, relationships, hoarding money.  Those are just some of the things that I felt so compelled to keep doing, drawn to and I couldn't seem to stop myself.  I'm a big self-help junkie, oh, that's another one of those things, and I tried to fix myself from these addictions and it would last for a short period of time, with each time me returning back with a stronger vengeance.

It's my great belief that I didn't see the demonic strongholds and how I was playing into all of it.  As I learned different things, I began to see the lies these demonic ties created.  Through repentance and deliverance prayers over time, the ungodly holds were each broken.  I had an unhealthy spiritual relationship with each of those things, but once those ties were broken, it's like I no longer needed self-control.  It was a natural thing to now have a healthy relationship with each of those things, a fine balance.

For example, I still love exercise.  But, I no longer feel compelled to HAVE to exercise all the time or if I miss, I don't beat myself up repeatedly.  And, for the internet, I no longer stay on for consistently long periods of time, rather, I do what I need to do and then am off to spend time with God, my kids, other people, or do something that is productive.

There are still some areas of my life where there are unhealthy relationships and I do believe they stem from a spiritual aspect.  What exactly, I'm not sure, but it is something I'm praying and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the root and eliminate it.  It could be one thing or it could be multiple things.

What there one thing that got rid of the exercise addiction or internet addiction?  I don't think so, but it was probably a myriad of things.  When I prayed, I prayed over a number of things (first came repentance) so it could've been all those things or 1-2 or ?????  All I know is that I'm no longer addicted.

Because I see the awful holds it had on my life and the terrible consequences, I'm also watching out for my own children to see they do not become ensnared in any addictions or obsessions.  It means keeping myself Holy & acceptable to God, pleasing to Him, so that I can hear Him speaking to me.