At age nine, Jimmy Needham was already an addict. He had an insatiable hunger for food and porn. At 15, he gave his life to Jesus and tried desperately to “run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts,” in the words of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:22).
His genuine commitment was not enough, however, as he continued to lose his battle with gluttony and lust. As his faith grew, he realised that freedom from an addiction can never be won and sustained by an act of willpower and white-knuckled determination alone.
Jimmy Needham (now a married father of two young girls and a successful singer and songwriter) finally understood that freedom from one pleasure can only come as we pursue a greater pleasure. Not only should we “run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts,” but we also need to “pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace” and “enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22).
In our pursuit of a God who completely satisfies human desires, we find freedom from the urges that fight for our greatest affections and ultimately destroy us.
In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus and his crew sail dangerously close to an island of Sirens; beautiful temptresses who ensnared passers-by with their sweet songs. Sailors were mindlessly drawn to the island and shipwrecked. Odysseus wanted to hear the song of the Sirens and ordered his men to plug their ears with beeswax and bind him to the mast. As they sailed past the island, he heard the beautiful song of the Sirens and commanded his crew to release him but they bound him even tighter. Odysseus may have won his battle against temptation, but he was not truly free.
In another story from Greek mythology, Jason approached the island of Sirens. Instead of resisting their tempting song by restraint however, he hired Orpheus, a skilled musician, to play his best tune as the ship sailed within earshot of the island. The boat floated by with both captain and crew unaffected by the song of the Sirens, as they enjoyed Orpheus’s better song.
Are you frustrated at your inability to walk free from addiction and those things that keep tripping you up? Rather than grit your teeth and clench your fists in a determined effort to stop sinning, fall more in love with Jesus – the better song.
Listen to Sirens, a track off of Jimmy Needham’s latest album Vice & Virtue, here.
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