Bible verses about addiction
We’ve all be on journeys of various kinds in life. Some can be smooth. Others not so much. On certain trips for example, it may require several stops, delays, or the need to ask questions.
A number of years back, I came to the realization that I needed GPS. I thought I was driving on Route 1 back to Delaware. I was actually going deeper into Maryland.
I had to stop and ask for directions to get myself back on track.
So, a road trip is one kind of journey. Another kind might be emotional with ups and downs. Others include the process of tying the knot, and then once married, that is a lifelong journey in of itself.
School is a process of learning and discovery along with a lot of things in life.
In sports, there is a journey to the championship, such as in the NBA playoffs. I remember one year the Golden State Warriors losing by 50 points in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies but went on to win the series and then the NBA title. Talk about ups and downs.
Below, I share some Bible verses about addiction, or put another way--verses that apply to struggles with addiction--specifically from the story of the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. First, I'd like to share information on two kinds of spiritual journeys...
Bible verses about addiction: The story of the woman at the well
The Bible explains two kinds of journeys of faith:
1. The kind which is a process of coming to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
2. And the kind of journey that entails a lifelong process of growing and maturing in the faith we already have.
Jesus took the woman at the well on a faith journey, in which she came to know Christ as her personal savior. But you can also apply this passage to the journey of growing in the faith.
Specifically, for the Samaritan woman in John Chapter 4, she entered the path of breaking free from addiction.
How so?
First, I want to mention that the type of process I refer to on this page is a spiritual one. As someone who is trained as a pastor, I can provide information from a spiritual standpoint. If you are receiving any medical or other professional help, keep working with your doctor or counselor.
Secondly, what was this woman's problem? She found herself stuck in an addictive cycle of unfulfilled relationships.
In the following Bible verses about addiction, John Chapter 4:15-18, the Samaritan Woman says to Jesus,
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
Keep reading for the seven steps, but here I give an overview of the Samaritan woman’s faith journey. The process involved the following…
- She found it strange Jesus was talking to her; didn’t understand…
- She was responsive though…not closed off.
- She asked questions and engaged in conversation and with His teaching.
- She then made the decision to humbly receive the word Jesus offered her…to leave her life of unfulfillment in a cycle of relationships.
- The Samaritan woman then committed her life to Christ.
- She then took the Word He offered her and spread that Good News to the everyone in town.
- As a result, many came to know Christ as their Savior!
In a nutshell, the above is an overview of this Samaritan woman's testimony. What was the word Jesus offered this woman?
John 4:13-14:
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Basically, this woman went from one relationship to the next and did not find fulfillment. Jesus offered her something that would be eternally satisfying.
I'm sure you've gone outside in 90 to 100-degree heat before. You know how refreshing and thirst-quenching water can be--especially ice water. However, this kind of temporary, earthly drink, as noted in John chapter 4, does not quench your thirst forever.
The kind of water Jesus offered this woman is something spiritual. Specifically, He wanted to bless her with His Holy Spirit. As a result, she would find eternal satisfaction and wouldn't feel the need to continue in a cycle of relationships that left her feeling empty.
7 SPIRITUAL STEPS TO OVERCOMING ADDICTION
Based on the above information and Bible verses about addiction in John Chapter 4, here are the steps from a spiritual standpoint to breaking free. In the Samaritan woman's case, the issue was a cycle of unfulfilling relationships. However, the message can apply to any addition:
Step # 1: Engage in prayer by asking questions.
The woman at the well asked Jesus questions as you see from John 4:9.
Step # 2: Meditate on the Word Jesus offers.
Step # 3: Humbly receive the Word Jesus offers.
Step # 4: With the strength God provides, decide to leave your life of...fill in the blank.
Note in John Chapter 4, verse 28-29 the following: Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?
The water jar metaphorically is her previous pattern of unfulfilled relationships.
Step # 5: Commit to living for Christ.
This step involves pursuing accountability and "radically amputating" the source of the addiction from your life. For example, it does no good to try and stop using alcohol when you have a shelf full of those drinks at home. For more on this concept and other Christian, Gospel-centered teachings related to addiction, visit:
Step # 6: Share your testimony and help others going through the same issues.
If your focus is on God and others in this sense, it becomes less likely that you will look back and desire the previous life.
Step # 7: Renew your mind.
Also, to avoid setbacks, keep renewing your mind, as Romans 12:2 makes clear:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We can renew our minds daily in the Word of God, the Bible.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).
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With the link between addiction and anxiety, see the following page for more details-- including 10 verses you can recite to gain victory over this internal enemy (something that helped me a great deal personally):