Recovering from addiction may feel like a never-ending uphill battle. Suppressing the urge to use drugs often feels overwhelming. Additionally, many situations feel like they are out of your control, and all of your days may feel increasingly gloomy.
Recovering from addiction takes a lot of work and time. You may feel as if you are grasping at straws, and the likelihood of relapsing is significant. Support and comfort from friends and professional addiction treatment go a long way, but many addicts often feel that they need something more.
The Bible & Addiction
Many people in successful recovery from addiction credit their success to a higher power, usually referring to God. The Bible is a great inspiration for their success, and several verses stand out in this respect.
Here is an overview of five Bible verses in recovery that will help replenish your hope and strength:
- Mathew 11: 28-29
Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest.
This verse is an eye-opener for recovering addicts who are looking for an extra source of support and have not yet contemplated God. It has two messages, both of which are relevant to addicts.
Every recovering addict can relate to the first message, as addiction feels like a heavy burden (load). Every addict would jump at the offer of getting rid of this burden, and the scripture offers to do just that by getting you to trust Jesus to take care of everything.
The second message in this Scripture calls on addicts to replace their addiction burden with Jesus’ yoke. It may seem redundant, but it simply means adapting Jesus’s teachings and molding your life around his philosophies.
- Corinthians 10: 13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
The road to recovery is paved with many pitfalls, and many of them can cause you to relapse back to your addictive behaviors. These pitfalls can feel like temptations — and they are. Some of these temptations seem subtle, but others are like big neon signs. However, this verse dismisses these temptations and highlights your strength and will to overcome them.
You have been strong enough to take the first step towards overcoming addiction. This verse serves as a reminder that you have what it takes to achieve this dream, regardless of how difficult it may feel.
This verse also reminds you that there are alternatives to engaging in addictive behavior (with the temptation also make a way to escape). For example, addiction treatment plans recommend getting a hobby or occupying yourself with work.
Interestingly, remembering these words alone will help put you shed the hazy buzz caused by temptation. It will also help you strengthen your resolve to get clean.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
The road to recovery is paved with many pitfalls, as mentioned. These pitfalls often manifest in the form of friends with who you used to do drugs. Misery loves company, and these friends will try to get you to do drugs with them again. Friends (combined with your favorite substance) can be very persuasive, but don’t be misled.
This verse goes straight to the point, unlike many other verses in the book of Proverbs. The message is clear: avoid addicts’ company — and surround yourself with good friends who will help you become a better person.
- 1 Corinthians 6:12
"I have the right to do anything," you say — but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything," — but I will not be mastered by anything.
This verse from the first book of Corinthians is deeply philosophical. It has many real-life applications, and it has a lot of relevance from a recovering addict’s perspective.
In a nutshell, this verse refers to a person’s free will to do anything. More importantly, it reminds you that a person shouldn’t do something destructive just because he/she can. In this case, you have free will to abuse your addictive substance of choice. However, this verse reminds you that your drug of choice is destructive — indeed, alcohol and drugs are terrible for the human body.
Once you get addicted, your substance of choice becomes your master. You work hoping to get money to feed your addiction. You ditch family and friends to spend more time abusing drugs. Essentially, the substance influences everything that you do. This verse warns against letting anything be your master.
- Proverbs 25:28
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Spiritual disorientation — which is caused by the lack of faith in God — can throw your life into disarray. It can result in addiction as you try to look for something to fill the void in your heart. Addiction will leave you distraught and prone to many other problems, much like how a broken-down city without walls is prone to attacks.
This verse makes an excellent case for turning to God to overcome addiction. It implies (correctly so) that replenishing and rebuilding your spirit will help you rebuild other aspects of your life. These aspects include undesirable behaviors such as addiction.
Covenant Hills: A Christian-Based Addiction Treatment Center
Covenant Hills is a Christian rehab center In Orange County, CA. The Bible is an integral factor in your addiction treatment program. It has helped many of our patients find the inspiration that they need to recover from addiction successfully and live an overall positive lifestyle well into their golden years.
We are always happy to help another patient overcome addiction and discover God. Visit our site or get in touch to learn more about our faith-based addiction treatment program.
