Trading One Addiction For Another

We went to the mall yesterday and had a really good time.  I packed healthy snacks, water etc for me and the girls.  My dad treated us to dinner out and I made a healthy choice of fish, steamed broccoli and a cole slaw with an olive oil vinegrette.  The grilled fish was amazing and had about 2TBSP of fresh fruit  on top(like mandrin organges and mangoes) for a sweet taste.  YUMMY.
 Abby got her ears pierced and some new clothes for summer.  We got some sweet deals at Aeropostle.  Everything was 60-75% off!  I maybe went over the top.....no, I went way over the top.  I could have spent less.  But I justified it as "she really needed the clothes". Which she did need the clothes but no $300 some dollars worth!
 Later when I got home I was thinking about the whole day.  Maybe I over analize things, but in all honesty, its a good quality to be retrospective. I think that because I couldn't spend on junk food like a pretzel and cheese, coffee- with much too much sugar and cream, ice cream (all items that I probably would have gotten on a normal visit to the mall), I spent on clothes.
What I'm trying to say is this- it's easy to transfer your addiction to another unhealthy addiction.  I'm wondering if the core issue I have is not food, but being compulsive and without self control. And I transfer this core problem into food and other things in my life.

GALATIONS 5:22-26
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The opposite of self control:

• Selfishness or selfish ambition
• rage
• disobedience
• rebellion

When you do not have the fruit of Self Control in your life- everything goes out of control.  It affects how you are with your family, friends, finances, spouse, food, your spouse- it effects EVERYTHING.

Verse 24 talks about when you belong to Christ you crucify the flesh and its passions and desires.  My flesh is selfish.  My flesh thinks only of me and what I want.  My flesh acts on emotion and is compulsive.  But when I crucify flesh, I have love, I have joy, I have peace, I have patience, I have kindness to others, I have goodness and I'm faithful in all that I do at work, home and God and I'm gentle and I am self controlled/disciplined.  WOW!!  All those things are contingent upon my CRUCIFYING and SUBMITTING to God's Spirit in my life.  And when you submit, you have the abundance of good fruit in your life.

I don't want to trade my problem with food for another problem/addiction.  Its important to be aware and sensitive to the issues at heart.  I am looking past the food and looking at me as a whole person -why and how I use food, things, or people in my life reveals my heart and my issue with self control.

I am thankful for God in my life, for His Spirit that speaks to me and shows me things. 

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Psalm 36:5