Are You Addicted?

I have a confession to make; I have a sweet tooth. Well, so does Robert, but that's beside the point.

Anyways... it's terrible. When something gets to the point that even after knowing the adverse affect of it (click here to see what sugar causes), but you still partake in it, something is terribly wrong.

Now, we don't eat anything at our house that has sugar or white flour in it, but we go to a lot of places that do...

A couple Sundays ago, during the fellowship meal after church, I decided that I would stay away from the dessert table so that I wouldn't tempt myself.

And it worked! Almost....

I stayed away from the table all day, until we were about to leave. As I was getting a drink in the kitchen, I noticed a piece of forlorn leftover chocolate cake. You know, the really moist chocolatey type that melts in your mouth? Yeah, that type...

By the way, did I mention I like chocolate?

I was faced with a decision: do I eat something that I grew up eating, or do I resist, knowing that its toxic contents are horrible?

My original resolution stood firm, but then it crumbled, as my taste-buds overcame the knowledge in my brain....

And, of course, my mind immediately started coming up with reasons as to why I could eat it, "You haven't been eating any sugar lately... one dessert won't kill you compared to what you used to eat..." "Your body is strong enough to counter the toxic effects from the cake", etc.

And the reason my resolution had crumbled? I am addicted. It's as simple as that. Sugar has such a power over me, that I can't resist it.

You know how I could have fixed my seemingly natural addiction to sweets? By simply never have tasted them.

If I had never gone down that road many years ago, with that first sucker or piece of chocolate (or whatever it was); if I had not continued to indulge my flesh when it started, I wouldn't be having this problem right now.

This really gave me another perspective on people that are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or smoking. If I can become so addicted to sugar because it tastes good, then of course people will become addicted to something that will change their mood, make them relaxed, and give them a "high", etc.

You can tell them all day, "the cigarettes that you're smoking are eating holes in your lungs" "the drugs are ruining your memory and immune system", etc. But, unless you can give them something better than what they are addicted to (i.e. Jesus) they will stay the same. Just talking won't do anything; they have to have a real conviction about it.

The best way to not get addicted, is just to never start doing whatever it is. I'm sure the now-chronic-smoker never thought that he'd be where he was today, just because he gave in that first time and had that one cigarette. The guy that's now pushing drugs on the street, never thought he'd be there, and all because he just tried it once.

And you know, there are things that we get addicted to, that seem so harmless, especially if you compare them to drugs, etc, yet are so detrimental. We get addicted to movies, certain TV shows, the computer, a hobby that is a time-waster, video games, the list goes on and on.

It reminded me of where God says, "You shall have no other God's before me", and that if we can't stop whatever the addiction is, we're putting it ahead of God.

It also made me realize that I'm not "addicted" to God as I should be. Do I get the same craving for God, that is only appeased by reading His Word, the same way that I have an in-quenchable desire for something sweet? I'm afraid the answer is no.

What about you? Are there any addictions that you have that you are putting ahead of God? Are you "addicted" to God, or is He just something you do if you have time?