Some quotes today from Chapter Six of Jesus and Addiction by Don Williams.
"From the study of addiction, it's clear that everyone is in bondage. For us there is no 'natural' freedom. Only when God's grace intervenes in our lives and we die and are raised with Christ can we progressively detach ourselves from all the things that had controlled us. Rather than the bondage of desire, we increasingly experience the freedom of true desire. This freedom means that we will not turn any substance, process, or relationship into an idol, losing control to anything outside the control of God. This freedom means that we are now able to think, say, and feel truthfully without fear of abandonment or shame. This freedom means that down deep in our guts we know that we are loved unconditionally by Jesus and are secure in him for eternity."
"As a result, we can at last love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves."
"How can we nurture this new freedom? How can we prevent relapse into addiction and codependency? First, we must live with Jesus, the only fully free person on this planet, day by day. As we experience his freedom, we will be set free from our attachments, compulsions, and addictions."
"Jesus found his freedom in open communion with God, serving as a channel for what the Father wanted to accomplish. Consequently, Jesus was free from any external code. He had no need to check out how people felt about him in order to know how he felt about himself."
"Unlike addictive and codependent people, Jesus had no illusion that he could control everything. Because he was submitted to his Father, he didn't have to get control of himself. This made him free from seeking to control circumstances or people. Fear of failure, exposure, or of losing his addictive fix weren't hooks for him. Since Jesus was certain of who he was, he was free from the bondage of human control and expectations. Instead he was free to love, confront, comfort, heal, and save people."
"Through Jesus' example, we learn that freedom isn't found in autonomy or separation from God. Real freedom is found in unity and communion with God. No wonder Jesus says that apart from himself we can do nothing."
No comments:
Post a Comment