You may be reading this and say “Addiction? I don’t have an addiction! ” Well, you’d be both right and wrong. I am psycho but hear me out. We are all addicted to something. Whether it be our friendships that we cherish so deeply, or maybe it’s money and you live for that next pay raise. Maybe it’s simply yourself.
In fact, we are all addicted to ourselves. Yes, we love ourselves but that’s not I’m referring to. I would argue that we are addicted to pleasing ourselves. We do what makes us feel good. At dinner, we would totally skip over the Brussels sprouts and go straight for the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
There’s a reason people play to win at sports because winning feels a whole lot better than a loser and we don’t want ourselves to feel that “losing feeling” Let’s get a little more serious. Sin. Does sin make us feel good? Yeah! It does, that’s the problem. We’re addicted to sin whether we like it or not.
We sin because it makes us feel better. We steal that money because even though we may feel guilty, we still have that extra $50 in our pocket and that makes us feel good (temporarily). Why do some Christians listen to music that idolizes sexuality, money, and pleasure when God says much in the bible against it?
Because it makes them feel good. Don’t take this and think that I am against pleasure. If you knew me, then you would realize that I enjoy having fun and I enjoy buying clothes (especially from Under Armour) because I want to look good, and that is not a problem.
” If I earned a penny for every time someone told me that I’d literally be a billionaire. Quite Honestly. I am sort of, kinda, selfish-ish. I’ve really been trying to stay more focused on Christ and what He is doing and wanting to use my life for which sort of prompted this blog post.
” People are so obsessed with being happy and part of that comes out of their deep-rooted desire for constant pleasure.
But they saying is “happiness comes out of happenings” and life isn’t always grand, in fact, it rarely is absolutely perfect unless you are focused on Christ and being grateful for what we already have is huge.
Going back the verse it talks about our faith and how Jesus not only created us and our faith but can perfect our faith IF we as Christians endure the cross of Christianity because it is not easy but we all called to do it and despise (or ignore) the shame that comes with Christianity.
I was a little curious when I came across this verse and while doing some research I came across this:
“Shame was stripping away every earthly support that Jesus had: his friends gave way in shaming abandonment; his reputation gave way in shaming mockery; his decency gave way in shaming nakedness; his comfort gave way in shaming torture.
His glorious dignity gave way to the utterly undignified, degrading reflexes of grunting and groaning and screeching.
And he despised it. What does this mean?
It means Jesus spoke to shame like this:
“Listen to me, Shame, do you see that joy in front of me? Compared to that, you are less than nothing. You are not worth comparing to that! I despise you. You think you have power. Compared to the joy before me, you have none. Joy. Joy. Joy. That is my power! Not you, Shame. You are worthless. You are powerless.
You think you can distract me. I won’t even look at you. I have a joy set before me. Why would I look at you? You are ugly and despicable. And you are almost finished. You cover me now as with a shroud. ’ I will throw you off like a filthy rag. ”
After I read that I sat in slight shock because that is how I should be living not only in the face of shame but also in the face of Satan.
“Satan you tempt me and the temporary pleasure I see is something I’d enjoy, but you see heaven, Satan? You see Jesus? You see everything He has offered me? You cannot distract me, and you are worthless to me. My eyes are focused on Jesus.”
Psalm 63:1 says – “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water”
Satan is a master at lies and that is no secret – but he likes to tempt people by convincing them that whatever he is offering (sin) will satisfy forever.
Like Eve, we buy into a lie that maybe just maybe Jesus isn’t enough, just maybe Satan ISN’T trying to harm me and my relationship with Jesus Christ and at that very second we choose sin over Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in grace.”
This is the verse I remember when I am tempted. “Jesus is Enough” No sin will benefit me now, or for eternity. I am addicted to Jesus. The joy that comes with staying committed to Christ feels better and is far more pleasurable than any sin ever could.
If I truly want to enjoy pleasure forever, I will be addicted to Christ. Heaven is worth the shame and worth the pain.
Philippians 3:12-14:
12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I think I’ve mentioned lately in the blogs what my motto has been recently and these generally relate to how I am trying to grow closer to Christ in my life. ” Regardless of circumstances, regardless of shame, and regardless of the pain. I am relentlessly pursuing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
Thanks for Reading,
– T