00:00Hey there, Johnny, how you doing? What's up, brother? So my question is, as a newly surrendered Christian who's trying to maintain a sober lifestyle, who also struggled with addiction back then, what's the best way to turn my life around? Not the easiest or the fastest, but the most efficient. Yeah, focusing on the gospel. So the issue right now is not that you're struggling with addiction, you're addicted to your thoughts, right? So the word of God tells you you're a new creature. Second Corinthians 5.17 literally says, those who are in Christ Jesus are a new creature, right? Everything has become new, all the old ways have passed. So you're trusting what you see, think and feel, that's why you keep falling into it. Satan is trying to tell you that you're a sinner who still struggles with addiction and sanctification is a process. We're not sinners, bro, we're citizens in heaven and we're down here to represent God. So that's our real identity, we're new creatures. But Satan goes, no, you're not. So he'll whisper your old identity. And what we do is we amen Satan by trusting our thoughts. So that's why I always say, not the easiest way, the best way, like you said, is to distrust your thoughts. That's why God says in Proverbs 3, lean not on your own understanding, Isaiah 55 literally says, right?
01:11My thoughts are not your thoughts, my way is not your way. The issue is we keep thinking, no, it is my way though, I'm with God, me and him are one. So you follow your thoughts, you keep living this backsliding lifestyle. It probably looks like you're doing good for a week, two weeks, a month, whatever, you fall back into it. And it's this rollercoaster, why? Because you're still trusting in your thoughts. You gotta cut it at the root, bro. Because the way you think affects the way you feel and the way you feel behavior. So if I have a lustful thought, I'm gonna have a lustful heart and a lustful action. You're trying to cut it at the action, let's cut it at the root, you understand what I'm saying? So instead of going about it thinking, oh, should I go smoke or should I go drink or something instead, should I pray? No, you should be like, wait, where is this thought coming from? Should I go and smoke, is this from God? Probably not. And if I follow it, think about it until the very end. Okay, if I follow this, what's gonna happen? Okay, I'll feel good temporarily, but then weigh it all the way to the end. What are you gonna feel in the end? You're gonna feel lonely, miserable. It can even lead you to thoughts of suicide and depression
02:10and things like that. It's not worth it, you get me? Yeah, for sure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.