Beating addiction is no easy task. I have a lot of sincere empathy for people who battle and struggle with addictions to alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, and the host of false Gods that grip onto the souls of well-being individuals. I grew up in a household where addiction, obsession and compulsion dominated. I’ve witnessed first-hand the hardship that strikes individuals and families as a result of such pressures.

And as I reflect on that, I also celebrate years of “sobriety” from energy drinks. I realize this might seem like an attempt to be funny, hence the preface and assurance that I am indeed serious. I make no attempt to suggest, however, that energy drinks are on the same realm as cocaine or even alcoholism, for instance.

Yet, my personal struggle with energy drinks is very real.

Beating Addiction to Lawful Sins

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12

There’s a common meme on social media that states in some iteration; “Just because I can, it does not mean I should.” I like the way 1 Corinthians says it because – in addition to being God’s word – it reminds us that we can let NOTHING dominate us. Energy drinks are completely lawful, but capable of dividing our hearts from God. They therefore can be considered a form of idolatry, and that’s why I often referred to them as one of my “lawful sins.”

The “fruits” of the energy drink addiction were irritability, impatience, lack of sleep, jitters, heart palpitations, shame, increased risk death and disconnection from God! There are many ways to go about beating addiction. Read this post to learn what has worked for me. Photo Credit: hectore via Compfight cc

My struggle began innocently early one morning at a convenience store prior to service in a ministry to help others. Even as I prepared to do God’s work, I was subtly stabbed by the devil without my understanding of how it would manifest itself.  I purchased an energy drink. I liked it well-enough, but it didn’t make me feel any better or really give me any true energy kick. I later began buying the sugar-free options and got so hooked on the stuff, my daily routine included at least two energy drinks, sometimes three or four.

I really enjoyed the taste and I came to crave it. I would be in meetings or just random moments and desire the taste of a sugar-free energy drink. I began “escaping” from whatever my environment to get my “fix” in secret. And yet, no matter how many I consumed, I never got an energy kick. I could, however, tell when the effects were wearing down because I became even more irritable and impatient than I normally am. Often, my tolerance fuse was short and blowups were frequent.

My spiritual life was pretty lame as well. Contrary to popular belief, energy drinks don’t give you more focus. In my case, they scrambled my thoughts and were quite distracting. Reading the word and really committing prayer time became a challenge if not impossible.

I was enslaved to my lawful sin. The tall can had become symbolic of my idol worship.

Beating Addiction to No Longer be Enslaved

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. – Romans 6:20-21

At the height of my energy drink addiction, I attempted giving it up for Lent. I made it almost a week before I caved. My shame pained me deeply as I realized Christ gave his live – God gave his only son – for me and I couldn’t even give up an odd compulsion for a strange liquid. That’s the moment I knew I had a real problem and struggle on my hands.

I kept drinking them, all the while knowing I couldn’t stop. Worse yet, I knew they were dangerous and wearing on me. There are very real dangers to energy drinks. I was already experiencing some of them. In addition to the irritability and impatience, I didn’t sleep well, was sometimes jittery and my heart sometimes palpitated. I was sure I was going to end up having a heart attack or go into cardiac arrest.

Those were the “fruits” of the addiction I could not counter. Irritability. Impatience. Lack of sleep. Jittered nerves. Heart palpitations. Worst of all was the utter shame that I was allowing a beverage to control my life. Oh yeah, there was something worse … increased risk of an untimely death and a disconnection from God!

Beating Addiction to Live a Better Life

I wish I could say I found an easy answer for my beating addiction to energy drinks. There are many “easy steps” that scholars, experts, professionals and self-help gurus or “coaches” will offer, and you may indeed find one that works. I share only from my personal experience and hope it will offer you some value.

For me, beating addiction included three steps, but none of them are easy:

1. Get Real. You have to start by getting real. By acknowledging the struggle and taking it to God. It’s not easy, but you must tell him about your shame. Submit to him your weakness. Ask for his strength and acknowledge you are too weak to overcome it alone. It is ONLY through his grace, his strength and his favor that you can do ANY thing. I prayed this daily.

2. Walk away. Confessing it and asking for help is one thing. Doing something about it is another. Until you actually take action, you’re not making any attempt at beating addiction. It’s sort of like helping my kids clean their room. They ask for help and then expect me to clean it for them. That doesn’t go over so well. I instead offer my help. I give them my support and guidance, but they do the cleaning. They have to have skin in the game and prove they want and deserve my help.

In my case, Labor Day 2012, outside a Family Dollar in Pennsylvania, I finished an energy drink and had a conversation with myself. “What the heck are you doing?” I asked. “You’re killing yourself. You’re denying God’s partnership and LORDSHIP. You suck. Walk away from this crap.” I did and I thank God every day. It was my first step in beating addiction to energy drinks. It was also the first time I had felt good about a decision in a long time and it may have been the starting point of a complete life transformation that has since taken place.

3. Say no every day. You make it one day, go for two. You make it two, go for four. You make it four, go for eight. Every single day is a battle, some more difficult than others. Beating addiction means saying no every day. Every time I walk past the refrigerator at a convenience store. Every time I seek an amazing sale in the beverage isle. Every time I feel run-down. Every time I see someone else enjoying an energy drink. Every time. I have to say no. I have to say it, or I will soon be saying yes. And one yes will lead to two. Two to four. Four to eight. Before I know it, I will have divided myself from God yet again.

Today, while honoring the fact that I succeeded in beating addiction, I also honor the work God does in my life. It is his strength transcended onto me that makes it possible. I hope and pray daily for strength to remain free from the death grip it had on my life.

If I can pray for you or a loved one specifically by name, drop me a line or add to the [comments].

In fact, I am going to do it every day this week. Just tell me to pray… I don’t need to, nor do I want to, know the details. If it includes addiction, I know there is struggle and likely a hardship of some kind.

If you are ready to get real, walk away and start saying no each and every day, I’m here for you. More importantly, though, God’s there for you!