Addiction

Are You Trapped Behind an Open Door?


I saw a catchy phrase yesterday that summarized the way I seem to live a good deal of my life: trapped behind an open door.

A story’s told of Houdini once being challenged to escape from a jail cell. After he was placed in the cell and left alone, he removed a thin strip of metal concealed in his belt and began working at the lock. But no matter what he tried, he couldn’t unlock the door.

The great magician had been tricked, because the door was never locked. All he had to do was open it, but his belief that the door was locked was sufficient to confine him.

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When We Wrestle with Ourselves

It’s really hard to keep remembering that my fight isn’t against those around me who oppose me, but rather is about whether or not I can stand in the will of God. Sometimes, I think, that the devil, he is me, that when I look into the mirror, my worst enemy is my own desires. I simply have a hard time waiting and waiting is what I need to do to allow God to work in the lives of those around me to do His will for me.

Ephesians 6:11-12 NKJV

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What was Surrender in Early AA?

What Was a Surrender in Early A.A.?

In the original A.A. “Christian fellowship” program founded in Akron in June 1935, pioneer newcomers had a very clear idea of A.A.’s requirement that they surrender.

The Surrender at Akron City Hospital

First, at the close of the usually-required, initial hospitalization in Akron City Hospital, there was a ceremony that involved only A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob and the newcomer with whom he had been working. It soon involved two events:
(1) The question Dr. Bob asked the newcomer:

    “Young feller, do you believe in God? Not a God, but God!”1 [emphasis in original]

(2) Then the requirement that the newcomer get out of bed, get down on his knees, and pray — with Dr. Bob leading the prayer.2

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The Quandary of Faith

I’m not one who talks much about “faith” because the word comes from a Greek root that can be defined either as “faith” or “belief.” And I prefer the position that A.A.’s Dr. Bob took and required of all the early AAs he helped. It really came from the Book of Hebrews:

    Heb 11:6 (KJV): But without faith, it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

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Dr. Bob’s Bible -The “Good Book” in A.A.

The “Good Book” Is the Bible

As I have reported before-and will show again below-Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Dr. Bob is often seen referring to the Bible as “the Good Book” in A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature. A well-known Christian couple who condemn A.A. have questioned whether Dr. Bob was a Christian because he called the Bible “the Good Book” rather than “the very Word of God”; which, they claim, “is what a true Christian would do.” [See: Martin and Deidre Bobgan, “Dr. Bob Smith: A Christian ‘Root’ of AA?” in PsychoHeresy Awareness Letter (PAL), Jan-Feb ’03 – V11N1, http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/bobs11_1.html; accessed 5/21/10.]

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Detach with Love from the Alcoholic

To detach with love from the alcoholic means to not allow what they do while drinking harm your emotional and or spiritual well being.
Detaching with love is something learned that over time becomes a habit-a good habit actually.

To understand how detaching with love works, we must first understand what not detaching is, and what it does to us, as well as the alcoholic you live with. When we don’t detach we get angry, resentful, and sometimes fearful over the behaviors of the alcoholic. This happens because we are “too” consumed with the behaviors of the alcoholic or better known as the symptoms of the drinking.

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Signs of Gambling Addiction

1. Loosing track of time when you gamble

2. Gambling with money needed for essentials (food, clothing, utilities, mortgage, etc.)

3. Often gambling more money than you intended.

4. Having few interests outside of gambling.

5. Hiding any of the following from your friends, family and/or loved ones:

    — your gambling
    — the amount of time you spend gambling
    — the amount of money involved

6. Trying to win back money you have lost (continue to chase your losses).

7. Betting with money you can’t afford to lose.

8. Maxing out your credit cards and/or borrowing money in order to gamble

9. Compromise your personal values in order to keep gambling.

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No Matter How I Feel, Christ is My Righteousness

Galatians 6:12b
“…the cross of Christ alone can save.” (NLT)

David Wilkerson, in the World Challenge Pulpit Series of April 26, 2010, writes:
“No matter how I feel, Christ is my righteousness. No matter how many doubts may arise, Christ is my righteousness. No matter how many accusations I hear from the devil during the day, I stand on this: God sees me as righteous in Christ!”

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Serve Him Today, Release the Problems of Tomorrow

Hebrews 9:11-12
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

I find myself so focused on things that, in the long run, probably don’t matter. John Wesley writes:

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Is Bulimia or Addiction Your “Temper Tantrum at God?”

Last week, David Powlison of the CCEF posted a superb series entitled
“Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken”. The 2-part article went into some depth in giving biblical counselors insight in identifying problem patterns in those who struggle with lust and pornography, as well as helping the counselee truly grasp the grace Christ offers and allow himself to be transformed from within. I highly recommend you read the series (there are many parallels between the life-dominating sins of sexual lust and eating disorders).

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