Freedom from unhealthy habitsFreedom from unhealthy habits
The Debbie Chavez Show » Podcasts
Sarah and Debbie talk about unhealthy habits and addictions such as alcohol, drugs, food, porn, shopping and social media, using Bible passages and personal stories. They share questions to spot when a habit is enslaving you and outline seven faith-based steps that may help someone move towards greater freedom.
30:32•9 Oct 2026
Freedom from Unhealthy Habits: Is Something Secretly Mastering You?
Episode Overview
- Use five practical questions to assess whether a habit is causing financial strain, harming health, damaging relationships, draining time for God, or clearly breaking biblical standards.
- Recognise that God calls you to be sober-minded so that addictions and compulsions do not become your master or pull you away from His purposes.
- Change unhelpful environments and friendships that feed the habit, and intentionally seek godly people who will speak truth and encouragement.
- Confess the struggle to a trusted believer and bring it into the light, breaking shame and secrecy and opening the door to prayer and support.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to do the "heavy lifting", seek healthy alternatives, and keep setting your mind on serving God and blessing others throughout the day.
“"Is there something mastering you or enslaving you… whether it’s alcohol, drugs, shopping, scrolling, eating way too much food?"”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol or other unhealthy habits? This conversation between Sarah and Debbie Chavez speaks directly to women who feel trapped by patterns they can’t seem to break, whether that’s alcohol, drugs, food, pornography, shopping, or endless social media scrolling. The tone stays warm, honest and very down-to-earth.
Right from the start, they stress this isn’t about shaming anyone: "This lesson is not about being judgmental or condemning… because we all tend to indulge in things that aren’t necessarily good for us." Instead, they walk through three big reasons to let go of destructive habits: God’s call to be sober-minded, His purpose for your life, and His desire that nothing else becomes your master.
To help you work out whether a habit has crossed the line into feeling controlling, they share five piercing questions. These cover money, health, relationships, time for God and others, and whether the behaviour is clearly described as sin in the Bible. It’s a practical little self-check that many women in recovery or early sobriety will relate to. Sarah and Debbie don’t keep things theoretical either.
Sarah talks about using marijuana as a teenager to numb severe childhood trauma and how coming to faith changed that. Debbie shares how God gently led her to give up sugar, joking about cookie dough as her "gateway drug", and explains: "I didn’t do it.
Jesus did… He just needed my yes." From there, they lay out seven Bible-based steps for change, including changing who you spend time with, asking the Holy Spirit to "do the heavy lifting", confessing struggles to a trusted believer, seeking healthy alternatives, and repeatedly asking God to fill you with His Spirit.
If you’re wrestling with any habit that feels like it’s running the show, this conversation might prompt you to ask a brave question: is this mastering me, or is God?
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