“I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. “And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. “He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh” (2 Nephi 4:18–21).
In the Addiction Recovery Program Manual by the Church of Jesus Christ, they list this scripture and then ask the question, "Do you feel encompassed or trapped? When do you feel this way most often?" First of all, I would like to say that 2 Nephi 4 is one of my favorite, if not my favorite section of the Book of Mormon. Nephi was a great man, you could even say a great prophet but he was still human and he understood that. This chapter shows that he had weaknesses but he trusted in God that though he has sinned he could be forgiven and overcome everything, with the Lord's help. I turn to this chapter frequently, especially when I am having difficulties. There have been many times in my life in which I have had difficulty with my addiction and it is during those times when I felt encompassed and trapped. That puts me into the OCD cycle and makes me feel very hopeless. Thoughts come to my mind that say, "I will never be able to overcome this" or "Why do I even try?"
Then comes the next question in the manual: When Nephi felt overwhelmed, in whom did he
place his trust? What can you do to place more trust in the Lord? As I said before, Nephi turned to the Lord for help. When I turned to the Lord in fervent and heartfelt prayer, my soul we filled with peace and love. Everytime, I knew, just like I did when I had my prayer answered a few weeks ago that the Lord was there, probably carrying me. I just need to remember to trust in the Lord each and everyday. I cannot forget that. I also need to humble myself to the point that I realize that alone I can do nothing but with the Lord, I can do anything.
1 comment:
I am always amazed how familiar it sounds when I hear others talk about their pornography addiction. Even though we are all different people and our struggles differ, we go through so many of the same situations.
Feeling entrapped is such a temptation. It is easy to feel stuck in our addiction, like we won't ever get out, so why try. That is why I love how you point out the importance of the second half of the scripture. "Trust in the Lord" he will get us out.
You have a great perspective. Keep up the good work.
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