Donuts with Rainbow Sprinkles
There has been more than one time in my life where I have considered myself an addict.
Hold on…HOLD ON. Before you start assuming things about my story, let me clarify. The specific type of addiction I am referring to is probably not the one you are thinking of. It’s not necessarily something I am very open about with individuals who don’t know me personally, so I just want you to know that you’re about to receive a slice of my heart here. Prepare yourself…are you ready?
Ever since I was a child, I have been addicted to donuts.
Thought it was something worse? Sorry to burst your bubble, my other addiction story is for another day. But this one is for this very occasion.
Donuts. So many donuts. There are glazed, chocolate, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla, chocolate with a chocolate glaze, creme-filled, lemon icing filled, honestly anything you can imagine is on the market somewhere. My personal favorite? A classic donut iced with chocolate and topped with rainbow sprinkles. It’s always my go-to, my saving grace, my comfort place. There is rarely a time when I’m a Giant that I don’t wander off to the baked goods section and snatch a $.69 piece of heaven.
There was a defining moment that I knew I was hooked on these delectable delicate delicious dangerous donuts.
I was around the age of 7, and I was at my churches yardsale. It’s called “Free-Bay” like eBay, clever, right? Immediately when I arrived on the premises I scooped out my options. I already knew there would be donuts, as there are every year. And what better place to get donuts than FREE-bay? Cause they’re free.
I identified the drug and started to plan out my course of action. First, I would take two, because that was a safe amount to consume while the parental units were still standing by. Then, I would abandon my caravan and go it alone, consuming two more. After this, I would let time pass, and casually shove a fifth down my throat. And right before we left, I’d stash two for the road. It was a solid plan, I know.
But you see, that didn’t end up happening. Once I tasted the first donut, I took three more and was immediately caught by the mother unit. She informed me that I couldn’t eat anymore, or I wouldn’t be able to pick any toys out that were there. Oof. That was a big consequence.
However, despite this my overwhelming desire for those white powdered donuts overtook my being, and I was seized redhanded with white powder distributed like a face mask over my cheeks. My desires overtook, and I wasn’t able to control myself.
I wasn’t able to say no.
As an adult, I’ve been learning a lot about identifying needs and wants. Especially as I embark on a new chapter of my life as a self-sufficient individual. So, as I was reading chapter 13 of Jerry Bridges book Respectable Sins, there were a few things that caught my eye.
Bridges starts out the chapter by quoting Proverbs 25:28, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” When we don’t have clear self-control, we create a pathway for the devil to continually tempt us in certain ways. Although donuts are a very small example of this, I think the metaphor still stands. I didn’t have self-control when I was younger, and it’s hard for me to have self-control with donuts now as an adult.
I think that a lot of people don’t really realize how much self-control plays into various aspects of our lives. Whether it’s within relationships and the way we communicate with one another, healthy eating habits, and personal finances.
When we allow temptation to take-over and we give in to our desires, we’re allowing it to control our thoughts, emotions, and ultimately our actions.
Bridges says this on page 110, “Paul lists it (self-control) as one expression of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22–23), and he includes a lack of self-control in the list of vices characteristic of the last days (see Timothy 3:3).”
This is a big deal.
Addiction in and of itself likes to function on the fact that we as humans do not embody self-control very well. In fact, we suck at it. I think it’s interesting because sometimes as Christian’s we feel okay with this truth. We’re okay with having no self-control and being sucked in by temptation. And I think one of the biggest things that the devil likes to tell us is that “we deserve it”.
Did you have a hard day? Well, you deserve this new pair of shoes. Did that meeting not go as planned? Well, then treat yourself to a dinner out. Is your husband upset with you because of a stupid misunderstanding? Well, make yourself feel good with this pornography. Because you deserve it.
Ummm…incorrect.
Self-control is saying no when we need to say no. It’s realizing when we need to put our foot down and take back the way we live our lives. It’s being finically cautious. It’s being healthy in the way we choose to care for ourselves. And it’s saying “be gone Satan” when he comes knocking.
No, it’s not easy. But I believe that self-control starts with accountability and biblical truth. Our biggest weapons when we fight against temptation is a foundation of light and truth. Accountability pushes you to be honest about your struggles with self-control. And honesty makes the devil fear the truth that follows.
Bridges closes the chapter by saying, “It is only by God’s enabling power that we can make any progress.”
So, let’s start being honest about our donut addictions.
If you would like to learn more about self-control and how it’s impacting our lives, feel free to visit these links:
