Where Does Your Addiction End?

Not how or when … where does your addiction end? I know several men who have been addicted to some form of lust. It all starts with a second look at a passing woman. When that no longer satisfies the lustful passion, it moves to a fantasy in the mind of the passing woman, and if that doesn’t satisfy, on to magazines and videos. Eventually these videos and magazines will get old too, so we look for more extreme porn. And eventually that becomes old news, so we look to 900 numbers, prostitutes, sensual massage parlors, chat rooms, or Craigslist. Our addiction is NEVER satisfied, so it keeps looking for more. And eventually, it meets the END. What is the end for our most common addictions? Let’s take a look.

The End of Lust Addiction
A person who follows the path of lust follows the above path. They give in to the temptation to objectify someone or something for their own self-pleasure. At first, this is a pleasure of the eyes, but it moves on to a pleasure of the mind and then becomes a pleasure of the body. The eyes allow something to come in, the mind allows this thing to be objectified, and the body allows it to be used for the pleasure of a self-seeking heart. This addiction keeps looking for more and more. It’s never satisfied. And here is where it ENDS: loss of spouse, marriage, and possibly children, loss of self-dignity and integrity, loss of self-control and purity, depression, anxiety, pain, and ultimately, death of everything that’s good.

The End of Anger Addiction
A person who follows the path of anger starts out with pain. An arrow flies into the heart, punctures it, and it begins to bleed. This blood boils and turns into anger. The tears dry up and the wrath flies out. It’s generally a form of self-defense, but can also be a form of self-offense. Either way, it is a path of protecting the self from being hurt. It is the mark of a person who is wounded and cares too much about itself to love others above itself, instead of sacrificing itself in love and humility. This addiction keeps looking for more and more. It’s never satisfied. And here is where it ENDS:  loss of self-control and humility, depression, anxiety, pain, more anger, possibly the death of the target, bitterness, unforgiveness, divorce, stifled and broken relationships, and ultimately, death of everything that’s good.

The End of Insecurity Addiction
Insecurity is wounded pride. This is pride that has been injured. The self wanted some sort of praise or validation from the world, didn’t receive it, and becomes discouraged. It loses confidence in who God created it to be, and focuses more on who it wants to be in the world and to the world. This leads to more and more striving. An insatiable desire to measure up to someone or something’s standards. And this addiction keeps looking for more and more.  It’s never satisfied. And here is where it ENDS: depression, anxiety, discontentment, jealousy, fighting, bitterness, pride, causing other men and women to stumble, obsession with appearance, wasted money on keeping up youthful appearance, depression, depression, and more depression, and  ultimately, death of everything that’s good.

The End of Pride Addiction
Insecurity is wounded pride. While pure pride is puffed up and fully-functioning pride. The self wants praise from self or the world and does whatever it can to receive it, whatever the cost. Wounded pride (insecurity) can often lead to this pride, and this pride can often lead to wounded pride. Sometimes you can’t even tell the two apart, they are best friends. Both with the same goal, wounded pride is just too wounded to run after it, but that’s okay, because pride has quite enough on its own, and pride doesn’t share. This  addiction keeps looking for more and more.  It’s never satisfied. And  here is where it ENDS: depression, discontentment, jealousy, arrogance, anger, bitterness, selfishness, self-reliance, atheism (who needs a God?),  obsession with appearance to the world (outward and personality), false personalities, lying, attachment to earthly possessions, stealing, cheating, and   ultimately, death of everything that’s good.

The End of God Addiction
This is what our hearts are really longing for. A person addicted to God may start off in any of the above addictions or some other one, some addiction to the world or self, but when it realizes that no other addiction is fulfilling, nothing ever satisfies, and they all lead to death, this addiction will let go of all addictions and attachments to the world and cling to God with all it’s got. It will look for God in all things, never seeking satisfaction in the world. This  addiction, like the others, keeps looking for  more and more.  It’s never satisfied. It can never love God enough and always strives to love Him more. It’s the central focus of its entire existence. And  here is where it ENDS: joy, contentment, peace, humility, selflessness, forgiveness, sacrifice, patience, obsession with God, true freedom, honesty, integrity, self-control, thriving relationships, love, beauty, goodness, faithfulness, Jesus, The Father, eternal life in Love, and   ultimately, TRUE LIFE and attainment of everything that’s  good.

We can all choose what we want to be addicted to. It’s not something we are forced to be or do. We can choose our reactions to temptations of this world, and we can choose what we want to set our hearts on. So, in the end of our end, we choose…. we choose our end.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
John 14:6
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Matthew 16:25

2 comments

  1. Addiction as a symptom that we need a God fix. That is so true. Anger addiction. I never heard it called that, but you know some people feel better after lashing out at others. That does not last though.

    Thank you for this post Ashley. God bless your day.

  2. Oh, my, I loved this article. Very insightful and honest. And timely. Recently, I’ve had enough of my anger. The Lord is helping me, and I am resting in His help. When one has had enough, God will not disappoint.

    I’m enjoying Inspire A Fire.

    Blessings!

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