What is one thing that’s hard for you to give up?
It is like no matter how many times you quit it seems to always come back to try and convince you to be involved.
Kinda like an annoying ex or a bad habit!
For me, it is smoking.
I remember the day I last smoked tobacco.
Almost four years ago, I was sitting in the middle of my apartment’s balcony floor and was overwhelmed with the day I had.
At the time, I’d also recently surrendered my heart to Christ.
Meaning, I had made a decision to trust in God with all areas of my life!
Yet, since high school smoking had been like a secret love affair that I relied on to help release certain feelings.
Our connection started out as pure curiosity and I never felt addicted by being linked!
I didn’t engage in smoking routinely.
I didn’t even choose to regularly smoke in public.
However, any time I felt too overwhelmed or anxious I would crave the feeling to light up and inhale smoke!
So, on the day I gave up smoking there was one thought on my mind:
Why did I need to rely on smoking to get rid of my anxious thoughts, if I made a decision to trust God and believe He could help me with all things?
While still sitting on the balcony’s wooden floor, I chose to finish the rest of my very last Black & Mild Wood Tip.
Then, I asked God to take the desire of smoking from me and He did!
Till this day I literally cannot be around smoking without becoming extremely nauseous or developing a headache.
However, if I am honest, there are still days when I feel overwhelmed or become too anxious and I think about smoking.
You may wonder, What helps you to not cave?
Two distinct reasons I believe God shared with me:
1. Tests come to strengthen your faith and help bring glory to God.
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7 NIV
Any time I was faced (or get faced) with an opportunity to smoke, I now acknowledge it is only a test to see who I choose to put my faith in.
I believe it is where we choose to put our faith that determines who will get our glory.
And, I believe God deserves more glory than smoking 😀
2. You have the freedom to choose to live in your freedom!
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 NLT
One of the biggest struggles I had giving up smoking was my mindset!
I was so used to limiting my faith to smoking that I felt guilty any time I thought about smoking.
As a result, I would smoke!
I began to be intentional in stop self-sabotaging and start celebrating small milestones.
Eventually, the more I chose to trust God with my heart, He literally helped me to kick the habit!
I pray today’s post empowers you to surrender any bad habit to God.
May you find peace in Him alone.
Biblical References
1 Peter 1:7
Isaiah 43:1
Temptation Nuggets
Tests will come to strengthen your faith and help bring glory to God.
You have the freedom to choose to live in your freedom!
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