i smoke cigarettes and I’m a Christian
But I don’t get convicted to disciplined because of them
Any other sin you name it there’s conviction, but not for cigarettes, what should I do ? Please help
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Hi Steve & ArmenianJohn.....Smoking is not a sin.
This post is for anyone who finds themselves in the same situation.
First of all, it must be understood, Smoking Cigarettes (IS NOT AN ADDICTION) but it most assuredly (IS A HABIT).
Simple explanation, you sleep 8 or more hrs a night, but you aren't woken up by withdrawal to have a Smoke in the middle of the night, if you happen to get up in the night you more than likely have a smoke, but only because your awake.
In the morning some people grab a Cigarette, as soon as their feet hit the floor, then there are those who can hold off until they get a cup of coffee, the two Habits feed each other.
The understanding is, anything you associate Smoking with (IS THE HABIT).
Therefore it is not Smoking you need to quit, it is the Habit of association which needs to be broken.
This then is the Regimen, the Discipline required in order to stop the Habitual Association.
This Regimen differs with each person.
1) Allow yourself 1 Cigarette every hour, on the hour, you are awake for 1 Month, no exceptions.
2) Do not have your first cigarette of the day until you have been awake for 1 hour.
Example, if you wake up at 6:30, your hour begins at 8:00
3) If for whatever reason, you are not able to have your hourly Cigarette, then you must wait until the next hour.
No 5 min. grace period, every hour means on the hour.
4) Whenever you finish eating, if it is after the hour, you must wait until the next hour.
Simple rule, try to coincide your eating with your hourly Cigarette, but be sure to finish before the hour.
5) Remember, whenever you have something to eat or drink throughout the course of the day, you are not permitted to have a Cigarette until the allotted coming hour.
Understand this, you will only have a Craving, whenever you do something which you associate with smoking, that's the Habit.
That is just the point, it is the breaking of the association of an event with Smoking which is the Habit, not the Cigarette itself, or the Nicotine craving.
Remember, you are able to sleep 8 hours or more a night, without a Nicotine Craving waking you up, but once you are awake, you associate the different things you do throughout the day with Smoking.
If you stick to the regimen, you will find, one day, you really don't want a Cigarette that day at 3PM when you are allowed to have one, that is the sign that what you are doing is working.
The object is, by Smoking on the hour only, you are breaking the Habit Cycle. it's really not as enjoyable to have a Cigarette when you don't particularly want one, or it becomes inconvenient, saying to yourself, I have to go have my Cigarette now, or I will not be able to have one for another hour, the Habit that you have enjoyed so much, will become burdensome, out of sync, at times it will even become disdainful, and not enjoyable at all......YEAH !
When you find that your becoming aware of the times you do crave a Cigarette, then you will be able to stretch out your time to 2 or even 3 hours apart, or even cutting yourself down by half or more Cigarettes a day, and spacing your hours further apart.
Look, its your Regimen, no one has to know what it is your doing for your self, it is best to keep it a secret until one day you can say, "I have quit Smoking"!!
It is of the utmost importance to stick to the Regimen, but if you slip, then just reset yourself for the next hour. if no one knows what it is you are doing, then they cannot condemn, and mock you.
This is a Regimen I devised for myself.
I smoked for 50 years, I enjoyed smoking, I didn't particularly want to quit, but I felt I should, that it would be the best thing for me to do......I quit for good June, 1, 2006, no withdrawal, no cravings sinse.
Believe me, it feels great to say to yourself, I'm not going to have a Cigarette now when I can have one, I will wait until the next hour, just to find you really don't want one then either, that's control over your Habit.
That is when you can set yourself to 3 Cigarettes a day, and that will be sufficient, but understand, there isn't any time schedule to quit, it's when you can, that way you will not start again.
Then low and behold, one day you will finally realize I not only don't need Cigarettes, I do want one,
and you QUIT.......CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
PS.
Sorry for the length of this post, but it takes time to quit Smoking.
