I was sharing with a client today. We talked about how they wanted to give in. Out of my mouth came, “we don’t want to give in, but we want to give up.” Giving in is what happens when we have using willpower for a long time. Giving up is what we doing where we surrendered our wills. We stop trying.
There are two ways to give up. The right way and the wrong way. Giving up in the wrong way is like giving in to the temptation. We feel guilty and then it fuels more willpower in the end which keeps the cycle going. Giving up in the right way helps us give up all our efforts and trying in our own strength. It is trying to be God. To know everything, to be everything. We don’t think we a doing it, but we are. We are saying, I am not going to do this. But hadn’t we failed in the past? Why do we keep on doing the same thing and expect a different result.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” says the proverb. We shouldn’t give up on the program, we should get keep trying, keep seeking. We need to experience God. But until one experiences the miracle of surrender they are not aware of how there is a deep sense of letting go of our will, our self and letting God do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
The Addiction Counselor 