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February 21, 2007
FROM THE COUCH
ADDICTED
Since we have these promises dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Cor. 7:1
“I can quit anytime I want!” This is the heart felt cry of the addict. Name your poison (drink, drugs, chocolate, lust, laziness, gossip, games, food, Internet, entertainment . . .) - the list is almost endless - but its result and our perceived power over it is the same – harm and denial.
Most of our addictions seem harmless enough and are generally socially acceptable. My addiction was smoking – 2½ packs a day when I quit. Many of my acquaintances smoked and we were oblivious to the damage we were doing to ourselves, others and our environment. Sure we read the labels on the package – “Smoking may be hazardous to your health” and focused on the word may – it’s easy to get around that warning. I would have probably ignored the warning even if it would have said, “Smoking will kill you,” (which I knew to be true) passing it off with a handy quip such as, Well, I have to die of something and it might as well be something I enjoy. We even knew the hazards of second-hand smoke that we subjected our loved ones and others to, but we didn’t care enough to quit. Addiction is like that – it deceives us into having a distorted view of reality and a fool’s attitude toward the consequences.
One writer has said that addiction is the primary problem with sinful humanity – we all are addicted to something. Whether or not we agree with that statement, we must see that those things to which we may be captivated (that which brings comfort, delight, pleasure, security, etc.) can actually become idols in our life – something that insidiously takes over God’s rightful place.
So how can I tell if I have become mastered by or have become a slave to something? It’s pretty simple really . . . try quitting whatever it is for an extended period of time - the 40 days of Lent for example. Reality will set in pretty quick. Here are a quick half dozen:
· Do you have a favorite drink (coffee, soda, etc.)? Stop drinking it for the next 40 days . . .
· Turn off the T.V. and video games for Lent to see if they haven’t gotten an inordinate hold on your heart and mind . . .
· Try fasting from food one or two days a week . . .
· If you’ve become reclusive and non social - determine to visit someone in the hospital, jail or Nursing Home or invite someone over once a week . . .
· Drop the non Christian reading material in favor of prayer, daily Bible reading and time in the Christian classics (may I recommend A.W. Tozer’s two paperback volumes, The Attributes of God, for starters)
· Hoarding things God has given us (time, money, things, etc) – go give something away to someone who needs to see the love of God . . .
Purifying ourselves for a deeper relationship with the Lord should always be a prime endeavor of the believer, but the time of Lent can be a special motivation. We must keep in mind though that we can’t just quit doing something, we must also fill that void with something else. As the idols of addiction displace and push the Lord to the sidelines, so to, by the willful bringing of the Lord back to the center of our lives, the idols of addiction will be weakened and displaced.
Will you join me this Lenten season by choosing one or more in the above list (or others if your addiction isn’t listed) and purify yourself in the next 40 days so that we can grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord together and put our addictions in their proper place – finally being able to enjoy the gifts of God without us becoming their slaves, or them our idols.
Pastor Garnett
Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at February 21, 2007 02:22 PM