Freedom from the idols of addiction

"The more someone uses drugs," Dan confessed, "the more selfish he becomes.  You don't care about what you are doing to anyone.  I am experienced so I know all about being selfish because I've spent most of my teenage and adult life addicted to drugs."

Dan was an inmate I met with over two seasons of incarceration at the MRJC in Kent.  Several other inmates around an evening service a few days later in Q unit with Dwight Hawley, my faithful PFC co-worker and brother in Christ, agreed. 

One of the Alcoholic Anonymous lines the inmates know goes:
."...one is too many...and a thousand is not enough."

Starting recovery from the evil web of addictions is a huge step forward in God's healing and deliverance. Addictions lead to an evil web of sin and sicknesses--Satanic footholds.

John 10:10 refers to the evil thief as, "coming to steal, kill and destroy."

The thief in John 10 represents is the evil one, our deceitful adversary, and will, if not confronted along with the forces of the world and the flesh, use addictions to steal, kill, and destroy everything truly good in our lives.

MRJC complex in Kent

The men I meet with every day at the Maleng Regional Justice Center are weighed down with the consequences of their addictions.  Destructive addictions strike men and women--whether it is substance abuse in drinking and drugs of heinous impact, sex trafficking, prostitution, internet gaming, gambling, pornography, and countless other paths.

 A long list of addictions is added to in ways all of us come under the control of what God calls IDOLS.

Here is what God gave to Moses as the first two Commandments:

    “You shall have no other gods before me.
    “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them..."  

Exodus 20:3-5a

Many of these inmates process through multiple in and out-patient clinics only to dig deeper into their paths of destruction with those they are doing their treatment with. A frightening number of inmates never participate in treatment or recovery care even though they share they have been involved since pre-teen years.

The last half of John 10:10 states such a freeing liberating message, "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly."

                       My path of addictive struggles

This all isn't about other people.  I remember feeling depressed during my college experiences.  I was walking in faith and connected in my local church with my family.  I had great friends. I read the Bible and prayed regularly and even felt His call on my life toward serving Him in a full-time way.  I remember sitting in the community college parking lot like I was in the wrong place.

I was proud.  I knew all the answers and was smarter than others around me.  It was really all about me.  I learned to respond to everything that frustrated me with anger.   I remember realizing this anger thing gave me energy.  It was an evil force that needed to be dealt with.

Anger was part my response to significant things that frustrated me.   I thought I knew better than my teachers and bosses around me.  That caused me serious trouble for a long season of adulthood.

As I look back, now, I could have fallen in areas of substance abuse addiction so very easily.  God was carrying me through so many things.  "I never smoked, chewed, drank or went with people who do..."  That is no humor.  Still, I struggled.  I have empathy for the fallen.  I created several other struggled with bad responses to people in authority.

I know all about failure.  I kept getting warnings.  I would get better and things looked resolved.  The Lord kept leading.  I was serving Him and I He knew everything.  It became a harder place than I ever imagined. 

The longer I gave anger a safe place, the more selfish I became. 

I ended up meeting with several counselors and a seasoned middle school teacher who really helped me.  My deeply-entrenched anger led me to destructive places at home, on my job, in my good church ministries, and with teams I coached.  I am sure I am missing areas.  God used that teacher, James, and the therapist, Gary, to continue guiding me to my own recovery.

In this journey into my own addictive, prideful anger, I asked the Lord to speak to me through His word.  His message of recovery was loud and clear.  It was like the font size quadrupled off the page--

"And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

~Galatians 5:24-25 

                   The Lord's recovery journey

Getting caught by people God sends into our deep places is the beginning of His incredible blessings, not demeaning punishment, as we see it.  God's merciful journey is His good road to lifetime healing. 

The next steps in total life recovery might not have been possible if you had done "just enough" to remain under the radar.  The path to recovery starts with recognizing God Himself is carrying, walking, guiding, holding your hand through His steps of discipline.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  ~Hebrews 12:11


                      Addictions inventory
How do you know if you are addicted and if you are in need of some kind of recovery?  Take a first inventory from my list, here.  How many of these things are yours?  You may need a trusted family member or friend to walk through this with you.

Those engaged in abusive activities, behavior, and people commonly:

1.  Preoccupied with the activity and behavior.

2.  Increasing amounts of time required to achieve satisfaction.
3.  Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop.

4.  Restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop. 

5.  Lose significant relationships, job, educational, or career opportunity.

6.  Lie to family members, therapist, friends, and co-workers.

7.  Escape to relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression.

8.  Grades crash with sense of isolation and hopelessness.

9.  Employment  performance and relationships slide significantly.
 

Other symptoms:
• Heightened sense of euphoria

• Neglecting family and friends
• Loss of consistent sleep
• Increased stress, anxiety, depression

• Weight gain or loss

• Withdrawing from productive activities

Whether its around some recognized addiction or some other failure, getting caught is so hard.  I pray you believe you are in a safe "shelter from the storm" with the special people the Lord Himself has encircled around you.

Epidemic gaming

Treatment for any addiction must be purposeful.  The addicted person needs far more direct, concrete help than they are willing to submit to.  Most often, these things are not prayed away.

In every recovery program God honors, prayer will be employed, mandatory, and required. 

You can't overcome addiction alone.  Meeting with a mentor regularly is a great start. Some combination of treatment, therapy, and group involvement will be required. There are solid support groups for virtually every form of addiction and painful family need. Many find Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-anon-type groups are very helpful.

Good, trustworthy help is available all around us.  One of the sayings I've learned in recovery support groups is:  "the program is useless if you don't work the steps."  Going to a recovery program or getting counseling gets left in the room if we won't apply what we learned or actively work at it with as much support as we can be encircled with.

                         Celebrate Recovery

Kent Covenant Church

I returned to a faith-based "Celebrate Recovery" group at Kent Covenant Church on the east hill of Kent, Washington on Thursday nights.  CR came out of Saddleback Church in California with Pastor Rick Warren.

The Kent Covenant group meetings start with a $4 dinner and fellowship at 6:30 pm.  We enjoy worship, a teaching or testimony, a gender specific small groups, and sharing around dessert to close about 9:30.

CR encourages four step studies for individuals, and small groups as well as seeking sponsors for ongoing one-to-one caring support. 


My local church, Faith Baptist Church, and Valley View Christian Church, also on the east hill of Kent are taking steps to start Celebrate Recovery groups. Several other groups remain active in our region and likely wherever you live. Get the support and help you need.  Find a counselor, therapist, in or out-patient treatment program, and a program group the Lord leads you to.  Check out other groups, faith-based or otherwise.   

                                     Wounded people all around us

Somebody is not safe here

Overcoming addictions and getting on a road to recovery involves those closest to us.  The addicted person creates family circles of sickness.  Families of origin are not naturally safe.  Families who go to church and are Christians are not naturally safe, either.  Some folks are hidden, dangerous mines subconsciously or consciously planted in and around us.



Most don't intend to wound others. Or, they don't appear to care and they actively hurl abuse.   A wounded person may think its safe to attack others around church.  They actively believe pastoral staff and church leaders are safe to abuse because they won't strike back. These hurlers need to be in recovery. 

"Stick and stones may break bones..."  but I have learned... destructive words break hearts.


                             Safe people and places

God's safe people

There are very safe people and places in all our churches.  God has gifted certain ones with caring and loving spirits.  As great listeners and prayer warriors, they stick with you as faithful friends.  The Lord may use these special ones to guide you into life-changing, transforming recovery.  The local church can be an amazing shelter from the storm, a genuine safe harbor.



I remind myself my church is no safer than I am.  We learn to let the Lord teach us to be safe and create safe places most often by hard experiences that bring us to brokenness. There are outstanding therapists and counselors in our region.

It all starts by being in harder places than we could have ever imagined and finding the Lord meets us down deep where we need him.  These are often low and dark valleys.  Watch out!  Several of these hard, low, apparently dark places are hiding in our journeys.  

Hold onto your faith.  Run to Jesus.  I am praying the Lord will move so decisively you will embrace your own faith.   I am pleading with the Lord you will discover you are encircled with loving people who are walking alongside you in your path of recovery.  

What help are you willing to pursue?  What is a first step or next action for you?