Break the Cycle

The Adam and Eve Story Reflects Our Experience with Addiction

We've all heard the story of Adam and Eve, right? Two innocents in paradise, one pesky snake, and a bad choice that changed everything. But what if I told you this story is more than just one of forbidden fruit and fig leaves? What if it's a mirror reflecting our own struggles with temptation and addiction?

Adam and Eve didn't just eat an apple, feel shame, and get kicked out of Paradise. If that were all it was, then no wonder atheists laugh and call it just some fictional metaphor.

Those two, the first man and woman, made a choice to play God, to decide for themselves what was right and wrong.

Life is Hell

And in that moment, when Adam fell for what his mate proposed, evil entered them and then the world. It became a human legacy, an inheritance we all receive and must contend with. Sound familiar?

Good times or bad, stress is present. Instead of meeting it with forbearance, we try to control everything, and bend the world to our will.

And when we fail, as we inevitably do, we seek refuge in bad habits, vices, and addictions---anything to numb the pain of our failed attempts at playing God. Then, just like our ancient ancestors, we end up with nothing but a mess. We mess up what was once Paradise all over again.

We each have within us the ability to put an end to the curse, to conquer the stress that tempts us to play God, to resent, to judge.

Never Avoid Stress

Stress isn't the villain here. It is our reaction to it that gets us into trouble. We can choose to meet stress with forgiveness and acceptance, or we can go the Adam and Eve route, letting resentment take the wheel.

The latter never ends well. When we react to stress with resentment, we're playing God, judging, assuming a role that isn't ours. We're trying to force a version of reality onto the world, conjured in our minds by self will. And it backfires every time. Adam and Eve learned this the hard way, and so do we.

We then turn to addictive behaviors to cope with the pain that every human being experiences from a lifetime of emotionally judging, assigning everyone we meet to an imaginary heaven or hell based on whether they fit our idea of right and wrong.

How gross.

Whether it's alcohol, food, or endless scrolling on our phones, these quick fixes are just modern-day fig leaves, covering up the discomfort*---and embarrassment, I might add---*that never addresses the real issue.

The Way Out

Just like there was hope for Adam and Eve, there's hope for us too. The key is to meet stress head-on, but without the baggage of resentment. That is to say, without playing God.

Instead of judging and controlling, we can choose to forgive and forbear being the arbiter. It's not easy, but it is simple. And it is the only way to break the cycle of addiction, and reclaim our lives.

This journey through is about progress. It's recognizing that freedom doesn't come by playing God. It comes from surrendering to His will by detaching from Self's will.

It is the only way to make it through alive. It's the way Jesus lived and taught. And it is only through what He showed mankind that any of us accepts the life of giving up hate.

Oh? You thought Jesus was just some wise, ancient sage who happened to have a great virtuous philosophy? Ha! His way, putting God's will before all else, is the way to God for all mankind. We had better listen to how He says it's done.

Everyone's A Control Freak

When we stop trying to control everything and start dealing with stress in a healthy way, we can finally step out of the shadow of addiction and into the light of real, lasting peace.

So, what's the takeaway here?

All stress is temptation. And meeting it with resentment is playing God---that's where the trouble starts. It's the fatal sin of all mankind. But once you've mastered resentment, getting free of anger and fear, you can face any stress without falling into that 'sin.'

You will lose all proclivity to seek out the psychotropic behaviors and substances that serve to relieve the pain of unconsciousness that always arises when any human being plays God---judges, in other words, resents anything or anyone.

Takeaways

Stress is Temptation: Every stress we encounter is a temptation to play God. Resentment is how the need for addictive behavior and substances gets started, developing selfishness, leading to obsessions, all bad habits and addictions.
Adam and Eve's Mistake Mirrors Our Own: Just like Adam and Eve, we fall into trouble when we try to willfully decide what is right and wrong, reacting to stress with resentment and judgment, which perpetuates the addiction cycle.
Forgiveness is the Way Out: Breaking free from addiction requires meeting stress with forgiveness, rather than emotional judgment. This choice ends the cycle of playing God, suffering and then playing god again for relief that never lasts.
The Perfect Example: Jesus showed that surrendering to the will of the Father, rather than relying on self-will, is how to find freedom from pain, guilt and a loathsome attitude toward the world and or selves. By following His way, forgiving, we overcome resentment, anger, and fear, and live a life of true peace.