"Addiction is the most powerful psychic enemy of humanity's desire for God," says Gerald May in Addiction and Grace.

Addiction.  Most people think of this in terms of alcohol and drugs.  Those are powerful addictions many people battle.  But, there are so many forms of addiction that are equally powerful and hold people in equally destructive bondage.

People become addicted to their own selfish desires.  People become addicted to a chemical "rush" in their brain when they are pursuing those desires.  People become addicted to "ideas" of what they think will fix them, make them happy, create some kind of magical solution to the struggles they face.  Once that addiction takes hold, there is no logic or reason that will convince them otherwise.

Just as a person addicted to alcohol or drugs needs to abstain completely from these substances in order to be able to free themselves from the psychological, emotional, physical, and biochemical nature of the addiction, so does a person addicted to their own selfish desires.  Without completely giving oneself adequate time to be in total abstinence from these things, that person will do almost anything, including destroying themselves and others, in order to get that next "hit".

And, this, the pursuing of oneself above all else, takes that person further and further from God, from the Creator.  Placing oneself first is the opposite of what most forms of spirituality teach.  There is a reason for that.  It is spiritually unhealthy to do so.  And, it tends to lead us into self destructive choices. It ultimately destroys the desire for God, the desire to honour a power greater than oneself.

Sadly, there is no greater bondage than that.

It is my prayer today that those bound by such addictions can have the strength and support they need to remove themselves from those situations.  May we all find the courage to examine ourselves in this area and set our priorities in line with what our Creator would have us do.  Amen.