Lesson 7:
Lesson Notes:
Addictive Behaviour
- God has created us with the power of habit.
- Satan has hijacked the power of habit and turned it into addiction.
- Definition of addiction: “A compulsive or obsessive relationship to a substance, person, behaviour or thing.”
Addiction is distinguished from the power of habit in that it leads to:
- Bondage
- Life domination
- Destruction
We need to understand something of the cause of addiction:
- People become addicted to anything that gives pleasure at the time, in order to compensate for their emotional pain.
- The pleasure the addict derives from their ‘drug’ is a refuge from their emotional pain.
- The addict has made a discovery. The discovery is this: ‘I know how to get relief.’
- The addiction is a coping mechanism leading to the cycle of addiction – relief, relapse, relief, relapse…..
- If an addict never learns how to deal with negative emotions, all he/she is able to do is to numb their feelings
The Bar Cycle:
I have a belief. It leads to an action. It ends with a result.
- Each time I repeat the process, I erect another BAR in my life.
- A room full of BARs is called a ‘prison’.
- In order to change the process I must start with changing my beliefs.
1) Recognize the problem for what it is – a coping mechanism – and renounce it.
2) Recognize that it is a substitute for the real solution for dealing with emotional pain – being emotionally connected:
a) Vertically
b) Horizontally
3) Find a grace environment where healing can take place.
4) Close all doors of re-entry to your addiction.
5) Become a righteousness addict.
# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70% correct is required to advance to the next session.