“I Keep Trying To Quit”

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

I am doing things right in my life, but I smoke.  I want to stop; I try.  I pray about it.  I try programs, but I cannot seem to stop.  Any ideas?

Sincerely,
Cigarette Cycle

Dear Cigarette Cycle,

Our primary focus at AYP is to address Bible questions, and therefore, we will try our best to give you direct Bible answers on how to quit smoking.  There are plenty of websites and resources that can give you more specific support as you quit smoking.  The truth is, we are probably not the best resource in this scenario.  We will stick directly to the best verses that apply.  God tells us several different things that we can do to quit a bad habit.

1. Don’t give up.  A righteous man falls, but he keeps getting back up (Pr 24:16).  A failure doesn’t become permanent until you let it.  Keep trying.
2. Admit your problem openly.  Confessing our sins to others has an immense impact upon us (Jas 5:16).
3. Get help from others.  Trying to do things alone, especially when we’ve failed before, is just too hard.  We are stronger when we enlist the help of friends and family (Eccl 4:9-12).
4. Replace the bad habit with a good habit.  It isn’t enough to simply stop something; that void must be filled with something else (Lk 11:24-26).
5. Make big and drastic choices if necessary.  Throw out all your cigarettes, give your spouse control of the finances, tell your kids to check your pockets when you come home, etc.  It may seem over the top – but sometimes, over the top is what needs to be done.  If it helps you remove the addiction, then it will be worth it (Matt 5:29).

Furthermore, continue to pray about it (as you said you have been doing); some bad habits take longer to break than others.  God says that any temptation can be overcome (1 Cor 10:13).  You can do it, but have peace while you are still trying.  We are all works in progress (1 Jn 1:9).

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