Action Toward Addiction

The new year brings opportunity for a spiritual reset, as perhaps we adopt new habits and devote
ourselves to putting off the old. Romans 13 encourages us to walk in God's light:
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

There is light in the Lord, and there are answers for each of us in His Word.  We cannot trust the ways of the world to meet our innermost needs, and we cannot depend on human wisdom and understanding in order to experience God's presence.  We can walk as overcomers - more than conquerors, as Romans 8 puts it  - because we are in Christ and have access to His incredible and effective resources.

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God calls us to walk in purity, and where lives have been polluted with harmful entities, including
life-controlling substances, He offers us the power to walk in His freedom. 1st Corinthians 3 states:
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

But there is freedom from the certain destruction that comes from disobedience.  As we enter a new year, we can first and foremost make sure that we are walking in right relationship with our Heavenly Father - if we are out of line, we can repent and experience God's restoration.  We can experience the freedom and freshness of the soul.

Many these days are struggling with not only a pollution of the mind, but a pollution of the body through addiction to opioids.  It's not only a matter for the medical profession, but presents an opportunity for the Church to speak to those who are struggling and help them find healing - not only for the body, but also for the soul.

A LifeWay Research poll of a thousand pastors shows that two-thirds of them "...say a family member of someone in their congregation has been personally affected by opioid abuse." In fact, just over half of the pastors surveyed said that, "...someone directly in their church is dealing with an opioid addiction."

The good news is that the Church is responding. The survey found: "Around 4 in 5 pastors (82%) say their church currently serves people with opioid addiction by offering spiritual support including prayer or discipleship."  Just under half say that they provide "physical support," and about 4 in 10 indicated they had some sort of program or support group available to help the addicts.

Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, states, "When churches offer spiritual and physical help to those in their community, they will meet people with many needs that go beyond those offerings...Churches have a choice of whether they will address those more complex needs, connect the hurting with help elsewhere, or ignore the needs.”

The LifeWay Research article traces the story of Robby Gallaty, senior pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN, who had a dramatic conversion experience in 2002 after being addicted to opioids.  The article says that twenty years ago...

...Gallaty endured a near-fatal car accident. When he left the hospital, the club-bouncer-turned-church-leader took with him several prescriptions for painkillers.

“My descent into full-scale drug abuse was amazingly rapid,” he writes in his new book, Recovered: How an Accident, Alcohol, and Addiction Led Me to God. “In November of 1999, before the accident, I was selling cars, training for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and thinking about business opportunities. By early the next year, I was looking for faster and better drug connections.”

After stealing $15,000 from his parents to feed his addiction, Gallaty found himself at his lowest point—kicked out of his parents’ home and told not to come back.

He realized, "I couldn't fix myself," and just a few years after this series of events, he gave his life to the Lord.  He offers unique insight on how churches can respond to those addicted to drugs.  The article says:

Despite most pastors having a personal experience with someone suffering from opioid abuse, Gallaty said many church leaders don’t know where to start in responding to the opioid epidemic.

“Some pastors are at a loss to understand the issues surrounding personal struggles and don’t have a plan of action to help those in need,” he said.

I have three words for you today concerning this information:

First of all, we can continue to be reminded to be involved in a cultivation of a sensitivity to the needs of people and families.  There are struggles all around us, and we can make sure that we are maintaining open hearts and minds.  And those who struggle with life-altering addictions can go to the right places to get help and break free.  So, the first word is cultivation

The next word is confidence. Be confident - we can possess confidence that the Bible has answers and the power of God produces freedom.  That can be incredibly helpful as churches and church leaders grapple with the dangerous forces that are afflicting members of the body.

So, we have cultivation and confidence.  And, for those who struggle, there is encouragement to come out of the shadows.  Don't hide, but be transparent. The Church can establish itself as a safe place where there is love, understanding, and truth, where fear is lessened and faith is released.