Free How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) by June Hunt

when I want something in my mouth (chewing gum, hard candy, ice, or a toothpick)
    • By eliminating the unnecessary activities that cause me to want to smoke
    • By memorizing Romans 14:21 and 1 Corinthians 6:12
     
“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall”
    (R OMANS 14:21).
Negative Reinforcement
    Q UESTION : “What is negative reinforcement?”
    A NSWER : Negative reinforcement means presenting negative truths or reasonings to aid with decision making. For example, “What is the truth about tobacco?
    Tobacco smoke contains more than 200 known poisons. Those who smoke two packs a day shorten their life expectancy by eight years. Tobacco… 61
    • Is the most common cause of lung cancer
    • Is a major cause of hardening of the arteries, which in turn causes strokes and most heart attacks
    • Is a major contributor in mouth and throat cancers, which can disfigure a person for life
    • Causes emphysema, making breathing very taxing, which in turn causes death
    • Produces chemicals that erode the lining of the stomach, which in turn causes gastric ulcers
    • Increases the risk of bladder cancer
    • Slows down physical healing
    • Produces carbon monoxide and retards the growth of a fetus in a mother who smokes, which also increases the risk of premature birth and infant death
    • Contributes to heart disease, the leading cause of death in men
     
“‘Everything is permissible’ — but not everything is beneficial .
‘Everything is permissible’—but everything is not constructive”
    (1 C ORINTHIANS 10:23).
Chewing Tobacco
    Q UESTION : “Isn’t chewing tobacco better than smoking tobacco?”
    A NSWER : Absolutely not! Apart from the obvious yellow teeth stains and unpleasant taste (especially for the spouses of users), smokeless tobacco… 62
    • Causes cavities and tooth decay due to high quantities of sugar
    • Possesses coarse particles that damage gums and erode tooth enamel
    • Can lead to gum and tooth disease
    • Is a common cause of mouth and throat cancer
    • Can cause leukoplakia
    • Contributes to increased heart rate and blood pressure
    • Increases the incidents of heart disease and heart attack
    The American Academy of Otolaryngology states that spit, chewing, and smokeless tobacco are “not a safe alternative to smoking. You just move health problems from your lungs to your mouth,” providing a more potent nicotine rush to the blood. 63

     
“The prudent see danger and take refuge but the simple keep going and suffer for it”
    (P ROVERBS 27:12).
Smoking
    Q UESTION : “What does God think about smoking?”
    A NSWER : According to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, smoking is a sin against the physical body because it causes sickness, disease, and possibly early death. But your salvation is not contingent upon it. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” God’s desire is for us to walk in freedom from any addiction or unhealthy habit. God’s plan for our lives is good, and if we choose to shorten our lives due to this kind of vice, we may miss opportunities of ministry and the privilege of touching the lives of other people whom He had planned for us to influence.
     
“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship”
    (R OMANS 12:1).
Compulsive Spending
    Q UESTION : “ H ow can I stop my compulsive spending?”
    A NSWER: You must first discover the need you are trying to meet through compulsive spending. What is the driving force behind it? Then you must commit to trusting God to meet your need and determine to please the Lord in the way you manage the financial resources He gives