Recovery from Addiction

A thin woman with rotted teeth and pock marks on her face clings to her children as police officers tear the little one from her grasp.  They scoop up the older child and put them both in a squad car.  They are screaming.  The mother, desperate. This is not even the final stage of addiction.  If there is no salvation, the mother will die of the disease, and the children will repeat the pattern when they get older. Addictions affect the lives of the addict as well as the lives of their loved ones. 

Addiction comes in many forms, from chemical/substance to food to relationships. In any form, it leads only to destruction. That is why it is so important to understand the flesh vs. the spirit and to follow that which brings us life, not death.

   Flickr/xtoq          

The flesh is our senses: what we see, or hear, taste, feel, and smell. Following our flesh, relying on our flesh to lead us will take us to very dark places. God’s Word describes our battle with the flesh in this way, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not,” Romans 7:18 (KJV). What we experience in the flesh can “trigger” a thought that is contrary to the truth (the spirit). In the New International Version Bible, this is described as such, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing,” Romans 7:19.

For instance, if I have admitted that food is an addiction and am trying to keep a healthy diet, I just so happen to walk past a favorite restaurant and smell (that’s the flesh, or sinful nature) the aroma of delectable foods. That smells triggers a desire to do what I know I should not, knowing that I will not eat in moderation. Entertaining those thoughts/desires will begin a battle in my mind between what I know I need to do vs. what my body wants me to do. If I am a food addict, and follow my flesh it will most definitely lead to obesity, ill-health, and rob me of true living. We can apply this basic pattern to that of any addiction.

The Spirit of God was released and given to Jesus’ followers to empower us with the truth in any circumstance. John 16:13 states, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come,” (NIV). As Christians, we have this power the moment we receive Christ. It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead that will give us strength in any circumstance according to His will. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” Acts 1:8 (NIV). His spirit connects with ours to unveil our eyes to see the truth; and if we rely on Him we become empowered to break the shackles of addiction one day at a time.

The key to recovery is found in God’s word and faith in Jesus Christ and His blood atoning for our sins. Following the 12-steps that is popular in AA and NA circles is a good method as long as we are not making our higher power anything other than the one true living God.
The first step in recovery is to admit that we are powerless over our addictions (our flesh). Once we can admit and accept that in our “self” we have no power, we can move on to step two. Step two is the statement that (we), came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step two is the quintessential step, because it is the step of faith. We cannot make our higher power be a tree, or toilet, or any other god, although this is a popular concept in many treatment centers. We cannot plug any god into the place of the most-high God. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (the trinity), is the only true God as stated in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (NIV).

He created the universe, came down to live in the flesh, lived a sinless life, (see 1 peter 2:22 and 1 John 3:5), died on the cross and shed His innocent blood as a perfect sacrifice for our sin. He gave the Holy Spirit which empowers His followers to overcome addiction. He is the way, the truth and the Life. There is no toilet, or tree, or person, food, drug, relationship, or material thing that will ever take the place of the one and only God. To place our trust in any other concept as a higher power will still lead to darkness and despair.

One man's story, Marty Angelo, a former executive in the music industry gives an account of his addictictive lifestyle and puts it into perspective.  Click on the video below to hear his testimony.

For more on recovery, or to order Marty's book, Once Life Matters, go to www.Martyangelo.com.

If you live in Des Moines, there are recovery meetings and fellowship that work the 12 step program according to the Word of God. To the right of this article are a few links you can visit to find the support that you or a loved one may need to walk in the power of God in overcoming addictions.