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I’ve been challenging you to look deep within and see if you can identify some addictions that shouldn’t be there. I believe most of us can find some, because becoming addicted to things or habits or people is a very natural tendency for us. It comes easy, so to speak. We can be addicted to good things as well as bad things. Anytime there is an imbalance in our lives or some area where we just can’t change, it’s likely to be because we’ve become addicted.
Now, what can we do if we uncover some of these addictions? Well, the Apostle Paul has some good advice for us. In Romans 6 he points out that we need to choose our addictions:
“…You are slaves to the one whom you obey... Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness” (Romans 6:16b,19b).
It seems we should focus on establishing the right addiction, rather than trying to get rid of our bad ones. So, he gives us the perfect substitute. Now, based on this passage in the Bible, fill in the missing blank:
Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to ____________, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
Fill in the blank with whatever addiction you see in yourself. Perhaps it’s food, so your version would read: “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to food, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” There’s your secret. Each day at the beginning and throughout the entire day you substitute the right addiction for the wrong one. You are choosing to be addicted to righteousness. It begins by a choice on your part to allow God to change your addictions.
