Psalm 139:17
How precious also are Your thought to me, o God! How great is the sum of them!
Step # 2 of the Twelve Steps
Came to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, who could restore us to sanity.
The illusion and false reality of being able to discern correctly and make good decisions is running full tilt in a person who is addicted.
The substance is in control and actually alters the chemistry of the brain.
Throw in a dark heart that is being directed by our sin nature, and you've got a dangerous combination.
I can't count the number of people who have shared with me unspeakable things they have done when high or drunk. Things they never would ever have imagined themselves participating in. But the high took away their moral compass and threw it to the floor to be smashed into a million pieces.
Under the influence, the rule of thumb is "Do what seems right in your own eyes." Just like the last verse in Judges, which carries a tone of impending doom. "In those days Israel had no king, so every man did what was right in their own eyes."
When addiction is up and running, any thought or inclination about God is quickly pushed to the rear. Why? Because we view God through our own lack of moral character. Where do we get the idea that we are terrible, bad people? By measuring ourselves by our behavior. I must be a horrible person, look at all the horrible things I have done. IF there was a formula to show this, it would be the following:
Person = Performance + What others opinion of me
In other words, who I am as an individual....my self worth and my self esteem, is defined by what I've done. Throw into this volatile mess the idea of always being conscious of the perception that others around you are always thinking about you, based on your past behavior, and that is a dangerous combination. Should behavior and thought process in a person with an addictive behavior produces guilt and shame. These two toxic emotions are the fuel that drive the addict to seek out comfort in their drug of choice.
The entire complex attitude and behavior of addiction really is very simple, if you view it with knowledge of God and His heart to heal.
God never created anyone to be an addict. Such behavior comes from having a broken relationship with Jesus. Living in such spiritual darkness is found in II Corinthians 4:4 ---Whose minds the god (devil) of this age has blinded, those who do not believe.
God's heart is that you be freed from the bondage of the the devil and this addiction that has defined your life. Truth is, those who are under the rule and reign of Satan live on a predetermined path for their life. One that ends in spiritual death as well as physical. No matter what your background is...no matter what race you may be....no matter what socio-economic background you may come from.....educated or uneducated....the end result and the path taken is the same. Ephesians 2:1-2 reads: And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (the devil) who now works in the sons of disobedience.
In all of this madness we call addiction, one simple truth exists. You are always on God's heart. His thought toward you outnumber the grains of sand on the seashore. And it isn't until you turn will and life over to His care, that your spirit, body and soul, not to mention your mind, can be restored to sanity. Sanity that lets you make sound decisions. Sanity that produces good judgment. Now that's a promise from God. I think you could take that one to the bank, don't you?
God on you.....
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