The Temptation of Addiction

There is a lot of discussion these days in the news, health magazines, and tv reality shows about the consequences of addiction, such as substance and alcohol abuse, smoking, or eating disorders. Even with all the accounts of pain and suffering, the warnings are not enough to prevent many good people from succumbing. The temptation for many individuals – to taste, to want more, to give in – can be overwhelming.

What is the root of this temptation and how can it be overcome? There are countless studies and programs dedicated to finding answers and providing relief, and many are helping. As a spiritual healer, I have seen a spiritually-based approach be wholly effective in stopping the addiction and restoring the individual to health.

The foundation of this approach is a discovery by Mary Baker Eddy that she applied to sick patients with countless healing results, proving its veracity. In her book, Science and Health, she describes the basis as ‘the scientific statement of being’ and it is the key to health and happiness:“There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter.” 

Therefore, there is nothing in matter to energize and satisfy life, there is nothing to love in matter that brings joy and happiness, there is nothing in matter that can control the soul of life.

If you (or a loved one) are struggling with the effects of temptation – believing there is life, satisfaction, happiness or control in matter – don’t see yourself as a susceptible, vulnerable or helpless mortal. Instead, identify yourself as a spiritual being, wholly living the qualities of a beautiful, strong and pure soul who is incapable of being contaminated by temptation. Anything of matter, therefore, cannot control your fate – because the abundant grace of the divine Spirit always guides, guards, and blesses your very soul. This soul is the essence of your one and only life, the spiritual life, and it has dominion over your physical experience.

Temptation is sneaky…here are three ways it can try to attack your spirituality and influence you:

Diversion – it diverts your attention from desiring to understand more about who God is and how you are one with God, having the ability to express the moral and spiritual qualities of humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, temperance, selflessness; temptation says there is happiness and satisfaction from matter-taste.

Division – it divides and separates from love of family, friends and even worthy endeavors of a satisfying career and any meaningful contributions; ultimately you are tempted to believe in a separation from the peace and love of God, and that makes you feel isolated and alone.

Deterioration – it breaks down everything of value, relationships, life-purpose, expectation of good, hope and faith, physical health; the temptation to believe there is life and intelligence in matter will destroy everything in your experience until you eliminate the temptation to believe it!

There is a very familiar parable in the Bible about the Prodigal Son.  The story is so rich with life-lessons that scholars often refer to it as ‘The Pearl of Parables.’ Briefly, the number two son of a wealthy landowner demands the entire amount of his inheritance immediately so that he can leave the homestead and enjoy the pleasures of the big city. Since this inheritance shouldn’t be his until his father has died, the son is saying, in effect, ‘You are dead to me and there is no more relationship or family of importance to me.’

The father gives him the inheritance and lets him go. Off he goes to pursue ‘riotous living’ – the illusive ‘pleasures’ of matter. That is until there is, inevitably, no more money. What follows is a famine in the country, so there is also no food, no help, and almost no life. The son is destitute and starving, rock-bottom. But right there in the depths of despair, the son ‘comes to himself’ – he wakes up and remembers where home is, the place of abundant love and care, where there is no judgment, no punishment, no trial. There is only a ring, a robe, and a feast…a divine ‘welcome home!’

The temptation to be diverted and dazzled by matter, to be divided from the love of family and Father-Mother Love, and almost to be destroyed by pursuing unsatisfying pleasures was removed, and the son was restored to his original self.

Anyone can be the Prodigal and be restored through the recognition of one’s original self, the soul that overcomes the temptation to believe there is life and intelligence in matter. And anyone can be the Prodigal’s father who showers him with grace – loving only the original son and knowing that ultimately this is the soul with dominion over matter.

A much-loved Christian hymn, Abide with Me, describes the inevitable victory. It is a prayer affirming the power of ever-present God in life and trials, in shadow and sunlight:

“What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?… I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.”

My next post will share a healing of addiction and restoration to complete health.

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Virginia Harris is a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science spiritual healing with an office in Wellesley. She was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s symposium ‘Spirituality & Healing in Medicine’ and today is a public speaker to medical audiences. More from Ginny at www.VirginiaHarris.com.