In the 1988 movie, Working Girl, Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) stated her acute dilemma: “I have a head for business and a bod for sin.”
That speaks to the inner battle each of us faces. Paul said it like this: “I do not do the good I want to do, Instead, I keep doing what I don’t want to do” (Romans 7:19).
In addiction, a person goes back and forth from (a) what is right, and (b) what is easy. Psychologist Elizabeth Hartney identifies five games addicts like to play.
- Bluffing: pretense that everything is the way it should be
- Hide and Seek: concealing something while those around him seek to know what is going on
- Taboo: keeping the addiction a secret for fear of condemnation if he was truly known
- Cops and Robbers: spending “missing cash” on his habit
- Stuck in the Mud: acceptance of the status quo
We’ve all been there, stuck between where we are and where we know we should be, “a head for business and a bod for sin.” Of course, there is a better way. Make a “decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of God as you understand God” (Step 3). I promise, you’ll be glad you did.
Recovery Step: It’s time to go all in with recovery. No more games. Just surrender.
