Day 4 – Am I Damaged Goods?
Scripture focus: Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 The Message
Experts in the field of recovery debate the legitimacy of what many have called “the addictive personality.” Great minds have explored the topic and arrived at different conclusions. Some believe that “addictive personalities” lead to addiction issues; others think the order is reversed. Others question the value of such a label. Most agree that there are some amazing similarities in the way people with addictions think, process and perceive. Dr. Lee Jampolsky believes that the “addictive personality” isn’t unique. In fact, he says all of us struggle at some level with these issues. Read his descriptors and see how many you can relate to:
- One who looks outside of self for happiness, expecting it to bring us what we want and need but finds conflict and suffering.
- One who believes they are terminally unique with an unquenchable hunger and thirst.
- One who feels chronically empty and alone in a cruel, punishing world.
- One who searches insatiably for achievement, acquisition, approval and accomplishment.
- One who tends to latch on to “solutions” – becoming rigid, self-righteous, intolerant toward other viewpoints, adopting an overly simplistic attitude to problem solving.
- One who is overwhelmed and driven by inner feelings of shame and guilt which unconsciously drive outward behavior.
- Fear fuels the addictive personality.
In summary, I think Dr. Jampolsky is saying that addictive thinking, processing and perceiving results in a relentless and unproductive search outside ourselves for life satisfaction. According to him, this search results in suffering. So although both he and I are looking at the subject from different frames of reference, both of us come to a similar conclusion.
When we invite God in to renovate our heart, we’re acknowledging that the project is an inside job.
Our beliefs, feelings, insatiable desires, and attempts to solve our problems have obviously affected our outward behavior. It’s a problem common enough that people write books that describe us pretty accurately – and we haven’t even met the authors! I’m deeply grateful that when God sets us apart – he is lavishly indiscriminate in his choosing. In the choosing, he’s provided us access to freedom. So while the pundits are debating on the nature of addiction and the addictive personality, we can continue our journey into the light.
Recommended reading: Genesis 12-15
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