As I battled a temptation this morning, an interesting truth was impressed upon me.
Acting out in an addictive behavior is usually the culminating step in a lengthy chain of events. It often starts as a thought or feeling completely unrelated to the behavior itself, and progresses through a predictable path in which the addict eventually becomes obsessed with the idea of acting out as a means to escape whatever unpleasant reality he currently finds himself in.
My own personal acting out behavior used to involve human beings in the physical world. The chain of events leading up to my behavior was measured in hours, days, or weeks: the simple act of transporting myself to the presence of acting-out partners required preparation and effort, with an element of waiting for the timing to be right (such as Friday or Saturday night). That is a long time for the dopamine drip to do its work. Because the chain of events was so long, there were ample opportunities to disrupt the chain and offramp away from the inevitable outcome. If I found myself fixated with an addictive thought on Monday, I had from Monday through Friday to make a phone call.
My acting out on the virtual world is a different story altogether. Perhaps there was a time in history when a pornography habit required the addict to get to the magazine store, video store, or adult cinema. Unfortunately, internet pornography is now accessible through devices we carry in our pockets. This means that the chain of events might last minutes, even seconds, between the initial trigger or fixation, and consummation of the addictive behavior.
Fortunately for us, God’s grace also moves at lightning speed and is able to keep pace with our sinful nature. Paul’s wisdom that God is faithful and will provide a way out of temptation (1 Cor 10:13) does not have a limitation on how long it takes for this escape path to manifest itself, or how many times per day it may be used.
This does not relieve us addicts from our own personal responsibilities in the matter. Paul also reminds us to take captive every thought (2 Cor 10:5), which could be several times per minute. No wonder the addict mind is so exhausted!
Escaping from addiction is mentally and emotionally taxing for the addict and his loved ones. Today, practice giving those temptations over to God and find some peace of mind.
Stay strong, my friends. Recover relentlessly.