Skip to main content

Addiction

Yesterday, when I was driving in the car, I had the chance to listen to part of Dan Rodrick's midday show.  He was interviewing Bill Clegg, who wrote a book called Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man (which I have not read).  It was very interesting to me to hear his definition of what an addiction is.


I'm paraphrasing this from my memory, but basically, the author said that an addiction is something that you crave and desire to satisfy so much that you sacrifice all else in the quest to satisfy that desire--that which you are addicted to.  At the expense of an addiction, one's enjoyment of other things wanes and it is even difficult to engage and enjoy the other things in your life.


That may sound like a very strong definition, but I stepped back and brought it to a lower level.  We can become addicted to anything--tv, chocolate, talking on the phone, exercise, etc.  These are not bad things in and of themselves (unlike cocaine), but when they become addictions they are harmful to us.  


I have been worn out emotionally this summer and the past week was especially busy for me.  Throw a couple of unexpected things onto the pile and my week got amped up a couple of levels.  So, when I had the chance this past week, I just wanted to turn on the computer (since our tv is broken) and watch television--and turn off my thinking and emotional brain.  This isn't that bad once in a while, but if I do it every day and I put off playing with my kids because I want to finish watching a show.  Then, it's definitely not okay.  


The show gave me some food for thought.  Am I choosing something that isn't the best for me at the expense of other things that are good for me?  Definitely worth thought and pondering and worth holding myself accountable on.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Comparison of Verses

Tonight I was reading the Mom's Bible again (NCV) and compared this verse: NCV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is the church. 24 As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should yield to your husbands in everything. NIV Ephesians 5:22-24 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. The Message 22-24 Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewis...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grieved

Why is it that my generation (I belong to Gen X) and generations after us always seem to think that they know more than the generations that have come before us? Why is there such a lack of respect in our generation for our elders? Why do we think that the liturgy of the church and hymns are irrelevant? It is ironic to me that the emergent movement is saying that the seeker sensitive movement is irrelevant. It seems as if it was only a few years ago when it was the seeker sensitive movement that said to the traditional church that it (the traditional church) was irrelevant. I'm reading a book with all of these big words and I want to be honest--I didn't understand a lot of it. I'm not dumb. I understood most of it, but the author was assuming a lot of background knowledge on the part of the reader. Most of the time I learn deep theological concepts and then I have to store them in my "attic" (as Autumn would say) because there isn't enough room in the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...
Post a Comment
Read more