The Lord cured me of two very bad habits which were in essence spiritual diseases. I had the sicknesses because they came before God in my life. They were my idols. You need to have a serious talk with yourself and ask yourself which do I want more, my smoking etc. or Jesus? He can end the addiction right away. I am living proof.
As for writing, you need to write every day even if you don't want to. Pick a time when you can do it, and treat it like going to work. Don't have any distractions. Try to do a set number of pages a day, every day, and you'll be surprised how easily it goes.
Amen, 1000s!
It's no coincidence what verse follows the temptation verse in 1 Corinthians...
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." -- 1 Corinthians 10: 13-14"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Our bad habits do become our idols, something we care about more than God. Therefore the habits which do not glorify God do not actually benefit us, but debilitate and destroy us.
As for writing, you need to write every day even if you don't want to. Pick a time when you can do it, and treat it like going to work. Don't have any distractions. Try to do a set number of pages a day, every day, and you'll be surprised how easily it goes.
Amen! Great advice. Writers write. Writing is hard; the fun part is having written. That's the allure of a place like this. It's easy to just speak your thoughts onto paper. And so I tell myself this is all good practice. 8~)