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Category:
Self-Help
Publisher: Lulu
Pages: 116
ISBN-13: 9780557005185
Human beings, being of imperfect construction constantly striving for moral improvement, are prone to systematic disobedience and deception. A variety of indulgences is what makes us human and different from other animals. For an addict, the main course at this feast is the consumption of his or her drug of choice, including alcohol. With God’s help, we will be able to curb our hunger for such indulgences. Without it, most of us will fail to arrest this wicked course; we will fail to arouse a sleeping conscience, and we will get no better.
As the proverbial fly on the wall, you, the reader, will venture into the author’s literary therapy world for guidance and insight in your quest for a drug free existence. The author, Steven R. White, invites you to share his experiences with drug addiction; the should and should-nots necessary for a successful recovery. Complete with suggestions, personal confessions and Biblical principles, this guide delivers you from the jaws of the Jackal, the demon and your drug of choice, into God’s hands and a better sphere of living.
What a mysterious thing is this enemy of ours – as mysterious as life itself.
Addiction is sometimes without explanation. However, we are aware of its presence and how miserable it makes us feel. How little we like to speak of it, discuss it, or consider its importance! When cornered, we discuss the thought as quickly as possible. That being said, doesn’t it seem strange that we spend so much time feeding our addictions? Furthermore, when we have finally had enough, why do we not spend an equal amount of time and energy trying to recover from those same addictions.
Recovery takes time. It is a thing that cannot be hurried no matter how badly we desire it. The ugly larva in its cocoon spends much time in almost unnoticeable growth and change. But no matter how slow that growth may be, the moment comes when it passes through a crisis, and emerges a beautiful butterfly. The weeks of growth are over, left behind, and the new and the beautiful come into being.
A man’s lifestyle and pattern of thought almost always, determines a man’s destiny. If a man desires to change his destiny, time and knowledge are required to make his wish a reality.
I’ve learned that reading about someone’s failures and accomplishments can jumpstart a need to change yourself; a change in the way you think; a change in the places you go; a change in the knowledge you seek; a change in your socializing.
Although professional counseling is an important element in most recovery programs, it is not a mandatory component. I feel that we don’t have to be directly told that we are wasting our lives. In all of us there exists an inner-self that is constantly reminding us what we should and should not be doing. We know instinctively what is right and what is wrong. That’s the way humans are built. And as a human being, you are already equipped with the components of change. So open you mind, heart & soul and allow your inner-self to do what God intended it to do – change your life and your destiny. I’m not saying that you should “do things your way”. Most individuals who have tried running on sheer willpower and defiant rebellion sooner or later discover they lack the internal strength to change, especially if there’s a Jackal on the loose.
Excerpt
Faith
The road of life has many obstacles and potholes. As you travel on this road, you can travel forward, or you can travel backward. And sadly, most addicts and alcoholics always travel in the wrong direction. For example, you relapse – one step backward; you fall to a sinful decision – one step backward; turmoil at home – another step backward. With so many steps back, many of us feel as if we’ll never move forward at all!
Faith is what shifts us into a forward gear. Many of us confuse faith with willpower and wishful thinking. We have a tendency to wish for things to happen, or try to will things to favor our way. And in that process, if the thing or situation doesn’t work out for us, it feels like a step backward in faith.
Faith is the disposition of the mind that gives you direction and moves you forward in life. It guides your steps, even when you are facing roadblocks and obstacles (like addiction). Faith keeps its eye on the end of the road rather than the hurdles.
Corinthians 5:7“For we walk by faith; not by sight”
Contentment
When was the last time you were truly at peace with the world? Has substance abuse limited the appeasement of your desires? Believe me, the use of drugs and alcohol is directly related to our contentment.
Contentment can usually be gained by learning from the experiences of an active spiritual life – a connection with your Higher Power. But many of us ignore our hearts and choose to look at only the “negative” in our lives. If you choose to ruin your hopes of inner peace and contentment, all you have to do is increase the number of times you use the word “if” in your vocabulary and speech. “If only I had more money”, “If only I could get back on my feet”, “If only I had a good job”, “If only I could stop drinking and drugging”. The list is endless. Woven into the fabric of phrases like these mentioned is the negative side of life. Taken far enough, it can only lead to self-pity and discontent – the most distasteful and inexcusable of all attitudes. Where there is discontent, there is loneliness; and most assuredly, contentment breeds company. You would do well to remember that a positive-minded person makes a better companion than a negative-minded person.
Like serenity, contentment rarely has anything to do with financial status. Poor people can be content; rich people can be discontent. Those who want and those who have and desire more are equally in need of counsel. Greed is a cancerous attitude of poor choices. Contentment comes when we desire peace.
Proverbs 15:15 “All the day of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”
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