# Spiritual Addictions

Language: en  
Author: by Paul D\. Weaver  
Original issue: The Heartbeat of The Remnant, September/October 2001, Number 5  
Source pages: 15  
Read article: <https://remnant.truechristian.church/en/christian-living/spiritual-addictions/>
Original PDF: 2001\-09\-remnant\.pdf
[The Heartbeat of The Remnant, September/October 2001](<https://remnant.truechristian.church/en/issues/heartbeat-remnant-2001-09/>)

> *“\.\.\.for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness\.”*
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> Romans 6:19

For most people, the word addiction will have a negative connotation, but there is evidence in the Bible that addiction can be a positive thing\. The family of Stephanas is mentioned in I Corinthians as having addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints\. How did they become addicted? What did they do to be recognized as addicted? Couldn’t they keep themselves from ministering?

An addiction, according to the dictionary, is a “dependence on or commitment to a habit, practice, or habit\-forming substance to the extent that its cessation causes trauma\.” Can we in reality become addicted to righteousness to the extent that to cease being righteous would cause us trauma? Don’t we want to be brought under the power of righteousness? \(Romans 6:17\-18\) An addiction is a strong habit formed over time, by repeatedly doing the same thing\. The first smoke or drink taken by someone is usually not overly pleasant, but the person is often pressured into it\. As he repeats that action again and again, it becomes a habit, and slowly it becomes the ruling factor in the person’s life\. After a period of time, they are truly addicted, and cannot seem to help themselves\. They are under the power of that addiction\.

Isn’t this a pattern that Christians should develop, but with righteousness? Should we not practice holiness again and again, until it becomes a habit, and even an addiction? What if we were truly “slaves to righteousness” and could not seem to stop being righteous? Suppose you were so addicted to intercession you couldn’t go a day without it? How about the “ministry of the saints” as mentioned above\- suppose you couldn’t really help yourself, you just automatically ministered wherever you went\. Have you ever heard of someone addicted to supporting missions? It seems every dollar he earns goes for his addiction, even to the point of sacrificing some of the “comforts” of life\. That is the way it can be for a drunkard, so could that not also be true of something far nobler? Imagine getting addicted to witnessing\. Everywhere you go, the love of Christ pours out of your life, and affects others\. Smokers don’t seem to care what people say or think of them; they are just addicted, and they practice their habit everywhere\. What about us? Does man intimidate us, or are we truly addicted to Christ?

A person addicted to a bad habit, especially drugs, will go through painful withdrawal symptoms if he suddenly ceases his habit\. The only way to get the victory over the addiction is if his desire to quit is stronger than the desire to continue his addiction\. Is it not a shame that we can so easily lose out on what should be our spiritual addictions? We can so easily go a day without prayer or witnessing or exhorting a brother, and feel no pain, no trauma at all\. It’s time we get under the influence of Jesus Christ, and follow hard after Him, to the point that we can’t pass a day without serving Him in some way\. Get addicted to prayer, to intercession, to praise, or to loving your brother\. Should there not be something wrong if we go a day without prayer? There should be some withdrawal symptoms if we try to give up our habit\. You can’t just drop an addiction any day you feel like it\. It takes effort\. Why then can we drop our prayers or intercession or praise so easily?

The person addicted to alcohol will go through a lot to get to the bar where he can satisfy his craving\. He won’t let a little bad weather stop him\. In fact, he might ride a bicycle or even walk several miles in the rain to feed his addiction\. Are you that committed to assemble with believers? Would you go to those lengths to minister to the needy? Does the drunkard have more commitment than the Christian? Shall not we, who bear the name of Christ, be wholly devoted and committed to His cause? And yes, maybe even addicted?