Killing an Addiction

In his helpful article, "The Mortification of Addictions," Jeremy Pierre offers us a very insightful reading into the nature of addictions and how practically, we can go about killing them. He writes,

Addictions always involve some idolatry of the heart that, when pursued repeatedly, conditions the soul and the body in such a way that the freedom of personhood becomes warped, bent toward a particular object and, far worse, bent away from God. When this happens, the most entrenched kind of sin takes over a person's motivations. Addictions are less like a bunch of little weeds out in the open and more like the one weed integrated into the foundation of a building. Addictions thread their roots through the expectations and desires of the soul as well as the impulses and cravings of the body.

Pierre then offers three ongoing actions required in order to get an addiction under control. Firstly, the importance of getting honest about our desires. Secondly, the need to be vigilant over our behaviours and lastly, the value of pursuing and enjoying other sources (and ultimately God himself) other than the object that has enslaved them.

You can read the entire article here.