Christian addicts

      Yes, there are Christian addicts.  Addictions of all kinds and manners.  I'm one and you are too.  You, like me, don't advertise our addictions.  We don't talk about them because of shame and fear.  We ask for transparency from others but cannot give it for ourselves.  How silly!  God already knows all about me and has so for at least 62 years!  Addictions seem to appear all of a sudden but really are like frogs.  Put a in a pan of cold water and turn on the heat.  The frog will acclimate to the heat until they cook.  Addictions are like that.  One day, one situation, one disaster and suddenly it's upon us.  The addiction that we didn't see coming suddenly has control of our lives.  Here are some of them:  food, sex, drugs, smoking, alcohol, shopping, avoidance, condemnation, gossip, judging, anger, and a host of others.  We can find ourselves enslaved to any of a number of addictions should we open our eyes and heart to the Holy Spirit.  Once exposed we may even admit that we are addicted.  Then we have the choice.  Do we address the addiction?  Do we expose the addiction?  Do we continue the addiction?  Do we risk relationships by telling others? 
     Here are some of my addictions:  food (I emotionally eat), aggressive driving (I like to get where I'm going...now!), impatience (other people's or my own), hard work (all the time), intolerance (of many different things), and spending money (yep, me too!).  There are others but this is a good start.  How about you?  Do you have any of these going on in your life?  I have some positive addictions as well.  I'm addicted to sharing the Gospel.  I'm addicted to listening to people and people watching.  I'm addicted to confronting errors in others interpretation of the Bible.  I'm addicted to being a dad, and friend and mentor.  I'm addicted to CraigsList both receiving and giving.  I'm addicted to giving away what I don't need to those who do need.  I'm addicted to a positive opinion and being supportive of people regardless of their circumstances. I'm addicted to grace and will take as much as I can embrace every day.
     You see, addictions are varied and across the spectrum from good to bad.  Addictions are productive and destructive.  As we engage life, we are compelled to face ALL of life and not just what we want.  You and I can spend our time in negativity or positivity.  It's our addiction.   God calls us to be addicted in our Christian life.  He tells us that we absolutely have to engage in two addictions.  The first is to love Him with all our heart soul and mind.  The second is to love others as we love ourselves.  IF we love Him it means we have received from Him that which we do not deserve...grace and love.  IF we love others as we have loved ourselves (see previous sentence) then we love people with God's love as we have no love of our own. Here is he kicker.  Here is the crutch of the issue.  Here is the REAL addiction each of us is to have, exercise and produce from.  We are to be addicted to giving away the love of God that has been given so freely to us.  I'm a Christian addict who seems to fail daily.  Yet, God finds a way to use my addiction to his love in a positive way.  He truly can bring good from anything.  Christian addict...what a concept!