1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Being a recovered drug addict, I am more than aware of the effects that drugs have on your body. Even after more than 15 years of sobriety, it is still a struggle to say clean. While it isn't necessarily the same daily struggle that it was in the beginning, there are certainly some days that are hard. Usually they come with stressful situations.
A couple of years ago, when my ex-wife and I separated, a close friend who was aware of my struggles with addiction said to me, "Don't use this as an excuse to start using again." I was kind of caught off guard by the comment. I remember telling my friend that it was going to take a lot more than what my ex-wife had to cause me to end my sobriety. I also said that I wouldn't put my body through that again, because it didn't belong to me anymore.
My body belongs to God. While I may not take the best care of it (hey, round is a shape!), it's still a temple that the Holy Spirit lives in. When I re-committed myself to Christ a few years ago, I remembered Paul's message to the Galatians. In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." That passage has always held special to meaning to me in regards to my sobriety. I gave up my old self and am under new ownership in Christ.
It's easy for those who struggle with addiction and other things like it, to fall back to what we know when we have a setback in life, particularly in the beginning of our sobriety. I don't pretend to know everything when it comes to struggling with addiction and sobriety, because everybody struggles in their own way. If you are having a hard time overcoming it, what I can tell you is to put your faith in Christ. He WILL get you through it. He got this idiot through it, He can and will do the same for you.
Don't expect that You will be instantly healed either, because we are all a work in progress that will not be completed until we are with Jesus in Heaven, or He returns to earth (Philippians 1:6). God doesn't expect us to be instantly healed, but He does want us to trust in Him for our daily provision of healing and strength. He knows how complex our minds are, and He knows every struggle we have. Trust in Him, and He will take care of you. And remember that you're not alone. I know that it may feel that way from time to time. It's easy to think that no one understands what you're going through. As I said before, everyone struggles in their own way, but that doesn't meant that no one else understands struggle. Reach out to people that you trust to help you through it. If you don't have anyone, you are welcome to always get in touch with me. Whether or not we know each other that well, I'm happy to listen and help you through in whatever way God will use me.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for Your healing and strength that get me through every day, some harder than others. I am grateful that You don't expect me to be completely healed instantly, and that You are willing to put in the time to make me more like You every day. I pray for those that don't know the power of Your strength and healing. My prayer is that in their struggles, they will come to You, the One who can and will heal all and make everything new. I pray that they don't hesitate to reach out to someone when their struggles become too tough to bear. I pray this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
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