Day 8: Addictions

Proverbs 5:21-23 NIV
21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.
22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.
23 For lack of discipline they will die led astray by their own great folly.

Proverbs 5 is a warning against adultery, but I feel like the last 3 verses are a warning that could be expanded to all addictions.
It is so true that sin can hold you tightly and it is hard to escape. It is also true that discipline is needed to break free. I think this is a perfect example of how perseverance, then character produce hope for a future.
I know God still loves addicts, even those who believe Jesus is their salvation, but I think God wants us free from our addictions still. I also think that addictions aren't limited to drugs and alcohol. There's also prom, adultery, lust, gluttony, sloth, hate, etc. The list goes on. It encompasses all those 7 deadly sins and perhaps a few more. Those sins are deadly because we become entrenched in them and it is hard to get away and stop. These sins feed on themselves and get strong as time passes. And some of them as are sneaky. Gluttony and sloth I think are two that are especially hard to get away from. I know for myself I struggled this summer with doing things I planned to do that would get my house in order and really bless my husband. It took all summer to stop my pattern of laziness with a little prayer, some conviction, and some praise music. I think the music was key to my release because it helped me dwell on heavenly things not on what else I could be doing. It helped me wage war as my voice lifted up in song with my pandora praise station. It really took a change in my mind and way of thinking as well as my heart and what I considered to be most important. And although the rewards are small in comparison to salvation, they are still a blessing when I can be home and not overwhelmed by clutter or a huge to do list.
My prayer today is, if you have any patterns that need to be altered, that God gives you strength and guidance. That you feel the conviction and rather than avoiding it, you allow it to move to you and help you persevere. Finally, that you reach freedom and enjoy fully living in the freedom God has planned for you. Amen.