What is a Vice?

[image by Andrew Nawroski, Pixabay]

A Vice is anything we use to primarily try to feel better and stop feeling bad that is not God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

That's called Idolatry.

Why, if we are Christian, don't we go immediately to Jesus Christ to primarily try to feel better and stop feeling bad?

Because we don't understand what it means when we emotionally feel bad (such as: "stressed" or "overwhelmed" or "worried" or "fear" or "hurt", or "annoyed", or "frustrated", etc.), among many other things we don't understand about sin.

We believe the lies that if I feel stressed (for example), it is caused by my work, my family responsibilities, my kids, my lack of sleep, money problems, etc. My intellect and free will are not the cause; i.e. I am not the problem.

Because of these lies, we believe that we have no way to stop feeling stressed unless we control others; that we have no other solution over whether or not we feel stressed. So we use material things (e.g. alcohol, drugs, movies, TV, music, social media, food, cigarettes, shopping, vacations, weightlifting, etc.) in order to "distress", which if you haven't noticed only works to distract from the unpleasant feelings (e.g. of "stress") for a very short period of time and heals nothing.

How do we cause ourselves to feel bad? How do we cause our own feelings of "stress" and other bad emotions and feelings? We choose to: be attracted to, like/dislike, want/desire, expect, believe, and think what is false/wrong (a lie) and those cause "stress", among dozens and dozens of other unpleasant psychological emotions and feelings.

So how do we stop / change how we feel in reality?

If you are Catholic, go immediately to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (aka Confession). [I'll explain why later, so just do it, it won't hurt you and it is free!] Then immediately go to Jesus The Eucharist in Adoration and tell Him: (and immediately do the following list anywhere, every time you feel unpleasant in any way)

1. Jesus I'm sorry for causing myself to feel/be ___ (e.g. feel stressed).

2. Jesus please heal me of ___ .

3. Jesus please show me Your Truth about ___ . (write down when and if any time you receive any information)

4. Jesus please give me your Graces and Virtues to replace ___ .

5. Jesus please show me how I am causing ___ in myself

6. Jesus please show me what I need to do differently to prevent feeling ___ and help me to do it.

7. Thank you Jesus for Your Healing and Truth.

8. Jesus I'm sorry I think I am right about everything, please heal me, give me Humility, and show me Your Truth about everything; Thank You.

9. Jesus please help me feel your Presence in The Eucharist.

10. Jesus please help me feel your Love for me.

If we don't feel #9 and #10, then whatever Vice we choose to use will feel better to us than going to and being with Jesus; God The Eucharist.

This is why we go to our idolatrous "vice god"; aka "bad coping", rather than to Jesus Christ; God.