There are so many people that are discouraged. Some have eating disorders and they don’t know what to do. Others live in fear. I knew a woman who could not go out of her home. She was a prisoner of her own device!

There are also many who have addictions. No matter what they do, they cannot rid themselves of those nasty, controlling habits and activities. They feel so lost.

Some go to psychologists for treatments. They get antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, and so often they self-medicate with other “fixes”. Most of these people don’t know what to do. They don’t know where to go. They are all struggling to control their actions, but they are completely out of control with no escape in sight. They are doomed.

One thing I have learned in the many years in my life: If your beliefs are wrong, you will continue to struggle and be discouraged.  Guilt, shame, condemnation, fear and nightmares will all haunt you. The problem is that the more we try to rid ourselves of these nightmares, the more they continue to haunt us. The important thing is to go after the root of the problem: Your core beliefs about yourself. This is the only thing that can change your life. Right beliefs will lead to freedom. Wrong beliefs will lead you nowhere.

I learned this. The hard way. I, too, tried so much on my own; but with each failure, the belief that I was stuck forever in this addiction grew stronger and stronger. In all my efforts, I had no idea I was, “barking up the wrong tree,” so to speak.

If you want to find real freedom, follow the upcoming devotionals in the series of Experiencing our Heavenly Father. As we reveal the key to victory, you will be astounded. Remember: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1 NIV)

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Experiencing Our Heavenly Father” devotional series, please click here.)