Is an addiction controlling your life? You are not alone. If you’re struggling by yourself in shame and guilt, be reassured that healing and recovery are possible. God does not want you to remain shackled to anything that harms you or causes destruction to your relationships—He wants to free you.
But there is a proactive element to recovery. You have to take active steps toward healing day after day. It’s a slow, often painful process that requires determination and discipline. But through it all, God will be with you. He will be your light (John 8:12), strengthening you and illuminating the path ahead when it feels impossibly long and dark.
Here are 10 steps to take when beginning the journey of addiction recovery.
Next Steps in Handling Addiction:
1. We all need help; the first step is admitting it.
2. Confess your needs and sins daily to God; meet with Him in prayer and in Bible study. This is your one proper foundation: your walk with Christ.
3. Find regular, weekly accountability and people you can call on daily. That can come through a church and a recovery group.
4. Spend time every day with God. His wisdom will guide you through.
5. Remember that people from all walks of life deal with addiction. None of us is any better or worse than the other; we all need each other.
6. Watch out for co-dependent relationships. Don’t spend too much time with people who are addicts but are not seeking help.
7. Understand that family members may have to cut off help to you temporarily so you can stand on your own.
8. Do not isolate yourself, but seek out healthy relationships with unaddicted people.
9. Make plans to make things right with people you’ve hurt, but keep your distance if it would hurt them to have contact with you.
10. Setting pride aside is hard, but it’s necessary for healing.
Below are some scriptures to help you know what God says about our struggles with addiction. If you want prayer or to talk about your current situation, feel free to call the pastoral care team at 800-525-5683.
Additional Scriptures
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. – James 4:8 NLT
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 NLT
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:25 NLT
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8 NLT
