We know the challenges Matt Talbot experienced in keeping his pledge to abstain from drink. But besides alcohol, Matt also gave up his pipe and tobacco, having taken to a pledge against smoking. He told one of his friends that this was even harder than giving up drinking! (http://www.acnireland.org/dts/dts_matt.pdf)
KEEPING
YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION
by
Abraham O. Ogun
Abrahamic Inspiration and Motivation Company, Lagos,
Nigeria
February 13th, 2016
Sometime ago, in the north, a young man
approached me and said, “I want to quit smoking.” After making the New Year
resolution, he told me to be monitoring him, to ensure that he didn’t go back to
his old habit. I agreed with him. On a particular day, in the second month of
that year, as I was coming from outside, I saw a stick of cigarette in his hand
with a puff and I exclaimed, “Guy, you’ve broken your new year resolution.” He
smiled and replied, “Abraham, don’t mind me; I will quit next year.”
A wise man said, “Today is the tomorrow you talked about
yesterday.” Likewise, this year is the next year you referred to last year. The
truth of the matter is this: If you can’t quit this year, you cannot quit next
year. There is no better year to quit your addiction than this year. After-all,
nobody is paying you monthly allowance because you are addicted to something
bad. You don’t have a fringe benefit attached to it. So, why not just quit this
year and be free?
Whatever you are addicted to, if you can determine and take a
decision, you will be free from it. Whether you are addicted to social media,
alcohol, sex, drugs, lying, gamble, smoking, stealing, gossip, violence,
suicidal thoughts, anger, gluttony, masturbation or pornography, you can be free
from it if you made up your mind to quit. It is only God that has the antidote
that can neutralize and vanquish kleptomania, nymphomania and all the maniacs.
Your case is not worse than that of Matt Talbot; He was a sinner that later
converted to a saint.
At the age of 14 Matt Talbot went to secure a job
in a wine production industry. In the process, he got addicted to drinking wine.
Most of the time, he got drunk by spending his money and even borrow or steal
from customers to buy drinks. This continued for about 14 years. At the age of
28, he got broke financially and stood at the door to beg his friends for money
to buy drinks. Unfortunately, none of his friends or colleagues could offer him
a dime and that was when he knew he does not have friends at the first place.
That experience changed his life and he repented from his old way of living and
became a believer. He was so dedicated to the service of God to the extent that
the church canonized him after his death at the age of 69.
He became a sinner at 14, repented at 28, and
became a saint at 69. You are the next on line for miracle. Benson Idahosa said,
“God is looking for bad people to repair; He is looking for terrible people to
make terrific.” Therefore, no matter the situation you are, don’t condemn
yourself; you can change if you made up your mind. Saint Paul was a devil
incarnate but he eventually changed to God’s ambassador. You can become the next
saint if you decided and determined to quit from your addiction.
HOW TO OVERCOME ADDICTION
(1.) Take a decision to quit. Your decision
determines your direction.
(2.) Pray for God’s grace. With God, nothings shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).
(3.) Go for counseling. “You cannot hide from your problem and expect it to be solved” – David Abioye
(4.) Separate from the group of friends or association that lures you into the act. “Look carefully at the closest association in your life for that is the direction you are heading”, declared Kelvin Eikenberry.
(5.) Disconnect from the people that engage in the same addiction. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo declared, “There is anointing in association.” Habit is contagious; it can be transferred.
(6.) Stay away from the environment where the addiction is being practice. Your outer environment goes along way to affect your mindset. Remember: as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
(7.) Change your focus – from reading pornographic magazine to reading bible, from bad friends to good ones, from beer parlour to church environment, from blue films to Christian movies and from reading romantic novels to inspirational books. When you change your focus without switching to another thing to replace it, you may fall back to the addiction.
(8.) Choose a morally upright person to counsel and monitor your progress. It could be your father, mother, priest, pastor or any spiritual father or mother in the church. If you are a youth, it shouldn’t be your fellow youth or a married man who is a philanderer. Otherwise, they will take advantage of you in the case of sexual addiction. Sexual sin is a hard slave drivers, it keeps you longer than you want to pay and cost you more than you want to pay – Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
(9.) If you are addicted to smoking or alcohol, sincerely tell your customer not to sell for you and let her or him know the reason. A lot of customers cannot do this because they want to make money.
(10). Determine never to go back to Egypt (Your former way of life).
(11.) Stay away from Sodom and Gomorrah (A polluted and corrupted environment). Mike Murdock said, “Where you are determines what grows in you.”
(12.) Realize that no condition is permanent. Today may be the turn of John but tomorrow is for Francis. Therefore, don’t commit suicide because of your bad situation and condition. Your appointed time may be tomorrow. Who knows? Relax!
(2.) Pray for God’s grace. With God, nothings shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).
(3.) Go for counseling. “You cannot hide from your problem and expect it to be solved” – David Abioye
(4.) Separate from the group of friends or association that lures you into the act. “Look carefully at the closest association in your life for that is the direction you are heading”, declared Kelvin Eikenberry.
(5.) Disconnect from the people that engage in the same addiction. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo declared, “There is anointing in association.” Habit is contagious; it can be transferred.
(6.) Stay away from the environment where the addiction is being practice. Your outer environment goes along way to affect your mindset. Remember: as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7).
(7.) Change your focus – from reading pornographic magazine to reading bible, from bad friends to good ones, from beer parlour to church environment, from blue films to Christian movies and from reading romantic novels to inspirational books. When you change your focus without switching to another thing to replace it, you may fall back to the addiction.
(8.) Choose a morally upright person to counsel and monitor your progress. It could be your father, mother, priest, pastor or any spiritual father or mother in the church. If you are a youth, it shouldn’t be your fellow youth or a married man who is a philanderer. Otherwise, they will take advantage of you in the case of sexual addiction. Sexual sin is a hard slave drivers, it keeps you longer than you want to pay and cost you more than you want to pay – Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
(9.) If you are addicted to smoking or alcohol, sincerely tell your customer not to sell for you and let her or him know the reason. A lot of customers cannot do this because they want to make money.
(10). Determine never to go back to Egypt (Your former way of life).
(11.) Stay away from Sodom and Gomorrah (A polluted and corrupted environment). Mike Murdock said, “Where you are determines what grows in you.”
(12.) Realize that no condition is permanent. Today may be the turn of John but tomorrow is for Francis. Therefore, don’t commit suicide because of your bad situation and condition. Your appointed time may be tomorrow. Who knows? Relax!
WISDOM BANK: It doesn’t matter the number of years
you have spent in your addiction; if you made up your mind and ask for God’s
grace, you will overcome it.
TEXT: 2nd Corinthians 5:17
TEXT: 2nd Corinthians 5:17