Addiction

Question:

Is there Scripture to support the healing of addiction? I am addicted to nicotine and have exhausted remedies, so I have turned to reading Scripture related to healing out loud, to myself. Even the thought of ridding myself of this habit stresses me out and I smoke more. I have repressed much of the hurt of my life by "using" nicotine. Please tell me that I can do this after nearly 50 years.

Comment:

Of course you can do this! Having been through it myself, I’m certainly not going to tell you that it’s easy. But the Christ of You is infinitely more powerful than the addictive habit of smoking. Believing that is the key to the whole process of healing and cleansing. As Jesus said to the woman with the issue of blood, "Your faith has made you well." (Mark 5:25-34). You must have absolute faith that the Christ Presence that is your true, eternal spiritual identity is stronger than the desire to smoke, which is simply a function of this limited human illusion. I tried to quit many times without success, until the day when I sat quietly and said, "My limited ego self cannot stop smoking—in fact, my limited ego self doesn’t want to stop smoking. But there is a power within me that wants only my highest good. I surrender to that power now. I am willing to not smoke, and I surrender my heart and mind to the Power within me that can make the right choices on my behalf." I never had another cigarette from that moment. And it wasn’t really a struggle, except for a grieving process as I released my old friend, the cigarette. I know without question or doubt that the same spiritual energy lives in you, and that in surrendering to that energy you are free of limiting and addictive choices.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed