John 1:4
Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.
I do not claim to be an expert in recovery, or Scripture or any theological matters.
Sometimes the main thing is simply the main thing.
Over the years, I have read and listened to people a lot smarter than me get wrapped around the axle about addiction and recovery.
Is addiction a disease?
Is it Genetic?
Is it a by product of the environment a person was raised in?
Or could it be because of something so simple as a condition of the heart.
The heart, as in the center of our being.
That place we love from, build our belief system from, and either receive or reject God from.
I have a good friend who came to our very first Vineyard Recovery meeting.
After it was over, they slipped me a piece of paper. I'd like to share the words that were written on it.
"The biggest addiction is not drugs or alcohol. But the addiction of the mind and the heart that tells us we are less that who God says we are. Remember we are recovering from a broken relationship with God. We are all looking for recovery."
Think about it....
People are addicted to drugs...
To alcohol....
To sex....
To gambling....
To work....
To food...
and the list goes on and on and on.
What is the one common factor in all of this?
It is something that plagues humanity.
In other words, the human heart is the one constant in all of this.
The human heart which is born under and with a sin nature.
A bent to run from anything God in order to run our own lives independent from God.
How's that working out? Not to good.
So addiction....any form of addiction begins with a simple thought and desire to do what we want to do. Then acting on it. Repeated over and over again, strongholds are erected in our minds and our belief system that lie to us about the process of recovery. At Rapha we teach a series of "False Belief's". Ways of thinking that come about in the addictive lifestyle. False Belief # 4 is the most dangerous to me. It states, "I am what I am, I am hopeless, I cannot change." That is the belief in a heart and mind that has lost hope of every changing.
Now as the addiction grows and dependency increases, the thought process gets skewed and our ability to reason is compromised by the addiction itself.
If you know anything about the Twelve Steps, you know that the first step is an admission of inability on our part to manage our lives and our using.
This admission that the answer does not lie within turns our attention outward looking for a POWER greater than ourselves who could restore us to sanity (the ability to make sound decisions). All of this because the Spirit of God is drawing us into relationship with Himself. At Step # 3 we make the decision to turn will and life over to His care. IN other words, we simply begin to process of following God's leading and direction over our own wants and desires.
Surrounding ourselves with like minded people who are also on this journey, gives us the support and love we need to get on in this new way of living.
No more secrets in our lives, as we commit to live a life of rigorous honesty. That means no more secrets to hide behind.
Easy....
At times yes, at times no.
But it is well worth the journey.
Look back to the verse at the beginning of this post.
John 1: 4
Referring to Jesus, in Him was life.
And it was His life that he was willing to give all who believed in Him.
And the life He gives is light, or the ability to see and understand how to live free from sin. That is the ultimate present.
God on you....
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