What is an addiction? According to the dictionary an addiction is defined as the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. Addictions is not reserved for just drugs, alcohol, sex, eating, gambling, or things that have been known to be associated with the word addiction. There are many other addictions that causes problems in the home and marriages. This world has become ruled with addictions and has ruined so many lives.

When an addiction has taken place in a marriage, it creates great voids in the home. The addiction takes the focus off of the people. It takes the focus off of what should be priority and places it on the thing or activity that the person has become to desire, crave, and diligently striving to do or partake of. It takes you out of the love walk towards the people in your lives and places all of your time and energy into the addiction.

A big addiction that has taken place in the homes is the addiction to electronic, the internet, social media, and video games. It has taken over millions of people’s lives and so many do not know what to do without it. A dependency has taken place and this has caused much chaos and destruction and has destroyed the structure of homes.

This addiction has taken families away from their dinner tables, children from enjoying the outdoors and exercise, married couples from sharing that intimate time with one another and communication has become very low. Because of this void, anger, disunity, discord, selfishness, and many other “self” focused consequences has taken place and it shows in the people’s character, their way of life, and it effects them in all areas of their lives. The greatest void this causes is the lack of time they spend with God, speaking of God, and just being in the presence of God.

In an addiction you become disillusioned to what really matters. You also become so fixated on the drive to accomplish the desire goal that you would tend to not see what is obvious before you. Then when things become forcefully accountable to be dealt with, the person with the addiction tries to figure out what hit them without the understanding just how much their addiction really has taken over their lives. A person in an addiction begins to lose themselves until they no longer know who they are.

A person in an addiction is very deceived and can only see what their reality tells them. This can get very complicated in a marriage because the person who does not have the addiction sees all the problems that it causes and cannot seem to quite understand why the addict doesn’t stop and see the problems also. It seems so simple to the person without the addiction, but the problem is – once it becomes a habit then the brain has adapted a mindset and an appetite has been created for the desire to continue the addiction no matter what it is.

When you have a spouse that is addicted to any type of thing, it is best to first bring the situation before God. Listen and search His Word for a battle plan on how to overcome but also deal with the situation as it plays itself out. It can be very stressful and weary as you are going through things due to someone else’s decisions but God will give you the strength to get through it.

In the Word of God, it is admonished that the woman of the house continues to live holy and upright in all of her ways, full of love and servant hood that through this will be a drawling connection for the husband to make his way back to the Cross. Nowhere in the Word of God does it say Wife nag your husband to submit his ways back to God and make him straighten up and fix all the things you see wrong with him. In fact it says to be still and quiet and take care of the home, pray and believe that God will take care of it. This isn’t to lay down and just let things be, but to stay intuned to the voice of God and He will take care of you through the process. He will let you know when to say something and when to be still. Sometimes saying too much pushes the person back into the addiction instead of helping them. Putting too much expectation or to make them accountable for more than they are able to do will continue the cycle of the addiction because what you really have done is set them up for failure.

Husbands, the same goes for you. If you find that your wife has a problem with an addiction, seek God for wisdom on how to appropriately set boundaries without over lording or becoming a taskmaster of change. Take your fight to the war room of Heaven. Seek God for the battle plan on how to keep your home in order and step up to the plate where your wife cannot be at the moment until the addiction is broken. This does not mean enable her, but instead push through with love and God will give you the right words to say, the right boundaries to set, and you will see that as you continue to serve the Lord you will be a light that will destroy the addictive bubble of alternate reality that they live in.

Addictions are very serious when they become and take place of your walk with God, your family, your loved ones, and life in general. Living in an alternate reality doesn’t just affect you but all those around you. It affects every part of your life. Your jobs start waning and it has been known for many people to lose their jobs due to addictions. You could very well lose your spouse and all that goes with it. Ask yourself this question… is it really worth it?

If you have found that you are involved in an addiction and cannot seem to get yourself out, please reach out for a deliverance. Under the addiction, there is pain and where there is pain, spirits like to attach and hide and manipulate control from that point and that is why many find themselves in positions they never thought they would be.

If you are interested in a deliverance, please feel free to email us: deliveranceministry@lighthousechurchinc.org. Along with a deliverance, there also is a part that you have to do to maintain the deliverance and that is to be ready to change mindsets, change routine and break the habit that has formulated by replacing it with things that God would like you to do. Addictions is a prison and captivity that will keep you separated from God, but God wants us to be free and have a deep personal relationship with Him.