Addiction - concealed and confessed

Proverbs 28:13 (NLT)
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

The folly of sin is when one indulges them with sin, they excuse their actions, they ignore their self-inflicted problems, and even worst they blame their faults on others. Compassion will be shown to those who acknowledge their sin and confess it; to themselves, to God and to those who have been hurt.

Addiction is a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences that follow. This is reflected in an individual pursuing reward and/or relief either through the use of a substance or other behaviors. People with addictions usually dismiss their problem. If confronted often they will blame the confronter for the issues in their life. The addiction brings about impairment in behavioral control, craving, inability to consistently abstain, and diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships. The prosperity in their lives diminishes as they lose control. They lose what they have and those close to them over the desire for the addiction. The addiction has become their new desire; their new love. They conceal it for their own self-gratification so others won’t attempt to take it from them.

The start of recovery from an addiction is the confession of the problem. The person must acknowledge they are no longer in control of their actions and that the addiction is controlling them. They should be willing to seek help and share their problem with others. In doing so they will gain mercy and grace from those who care to see them healed. No longer will they be pushed aside for their problem, but instead they will be comforted. I pray for those with addictions that they would no longer conceal them, but confess them to others in order to find help. I pray their lives will be blessed with mercy. I pray too that healing and restoration will come to them. May God bless your lives as you confess your faults to Him.

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I wanted to add a post note to my devotion. In my devotion I am comparing the proverb of disclosing sin and finding mercy to an addiction recovery principle of disclosure to find help. One must first acknowledge their addiction before they can receive mercy to work on it. If they continue to ignore the addiction then it will continue to hold power over them. The same goes for sin. When it is acknowledged the power of the sin is lost and person can begin to find healing.

Another clarification I would like to make is having an addiction is not a sin. Addiction is more like a temptation. A temptation brings to mind a desire for sin, but until a sin is acted upon the temptation remains just that, a temptation. For an addict there is always a temptation to act on their addiction. However if they are in recovery the addiction is nothing more than a temptation. Jesus was tempted in the dessert but He did not fall into sin. However, if a person is acting out with with temptation then those actions may fall into a category of sin, such as stealing, lying, etc.

And finally I believe addictions come from a combination of genetics, environment and life issues. Addictions are generally treated like a disease in that a person should be checked for possible disorders contributing to the addiction and well as receiving counseling for any trauma or life changing experiences.