A lot of people say that they can only do things with God's help. I personally believe that to be true and would go further on to say that we can't do anything without the good Lord's help. Well, it appears this its true for smoking cessation.
A recent study in a nursing journal pointed out the added benefit of spiritual well being, when added to a smoking cessation trial in women. Apparently, Christian women reported a better quit experience when they relied on God to help them with the cravings, temptations, disciplines, etc. of quitting smoking.
I have a verse on my stop smoking website that enlists that very idea. Through Christ Jesus, I can do all things - and that includes cleaning up your lifestyle and stopping cigarettes. Someone may ask, "Why would God care if you smoked?". That's a good question. But to a Christian, reliance upon God is everything. Forgiveness of sin (through Jesus the Christ), strength to live the day, peace to face adversity is all found through our relationship with our savior and Lord. This connects us to God and gives us confidence that the creator of the universe is on our side, helping us. Being connected like this is what we're about. So it shouldn't surprise anyone when we turn to that strength to get us through a quit experience.
I don't expect non-Christians to necessarily understand this idea, but rather just wanted to take a moment to explain the genesis of this study and why it is relevant. So if you hadn't turn to God for help to stop smoking, maybe you should. You may just find yourself having a better quit experience.
