I want to talk about the 3 A's that stop relapses from reoccurring, they are; 1. Amputation 2. Accountability, and 3. Appropriation. If these steps are adhered to properly, you will have a much better chance of recovering from your addiction, if they are ignored, then you will most likely keep struggling with your addiction. Most of us kind of have to see for ourselves that these steps are necessary, but once you figure out that they really are necessary, then you will be on the road to finally stopping the insane cycle of relapsing. Here is an explanation of the 3 A's;

1. Amputation- You have to get the tools and people that feed your addiction away from you. If you are addicted to porn, then you may have to get rid of your computer or get strictly filtered Internet service. If it is drugs, then you have to get all of those drugs out of the house, and keep them out. If you have friends that are addicts that you used with, then you will have to do your best to steer clear of them from now on. If you want to keep the addiction from landing on the runway of your life everyday, then you have to get rid of the runway it has been using to land on.

2. Accountability- I used to hate the idea of being accountable to someone because that meant that I could not practice my addiction anymore in secret. This may sound like an unpleasant step to have to take, but if you are really serious about getting free, you will be willing to do this. Make sure that your accountability partner is trustworthy and not a gossip, and it helps to choose someone who has recovered from the same addiction as you are trying to quit, since they will know better what to look for if you are slipping or not being honest.

3. Appropriation- This step means appropriating or receiving what your soul and spirit need to be spiritually nourished on a daily basis, so that you won't be craving your addiction so much. You do this by reading your bible, worshiping, and praying every morning and as much as you need to throughout a day to stay full of God. If you are full of good food, then you won't go looking for junk food. Your spirit is hungry for God every day whether you realize it or not, that is why Jesus said to ask God for your daily bread "every day".

These steps may sound simple, but they are profound in their effect if followed properly. Relapsing can be so wearying and depressing. After so many relapses, it can be easy to just give up and admit defeat, but that is no answer at all. Addictions are nothing more than lies we believe about ourselves, others, and God. Addiction is caused by a strong fear of life's pain, and a deep need to protect ourselves from further pain. As we let God take us to the roots of those fears and heal them with the truth, we will no longer need the addiction like we used to. But habits can die hard unless we stop feeding them, tell someone else about our problem, and get what we need from God every day. Trust God and take these steps above and you will see the tide finally turn in your favor concerning your addiction and the relapses that they cause.