Good News August 2017 Broward

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20 August 2017 ENCOURAGEMENT Good News - Broward Edition
John D. Hawkins, Sr.
Good News
Life is hard because of the
curse of sin. God looked over
His finished creation and said,
“It is good.” God is working out
His plan of redemption and res-
toration to return to the “it is
good phase.” Until then we must
deal with the realities and con-
sequences of sin’s curse. Some
do so successfully while others
don’t. This is where addiction
enters the human story.
Escape from life realities
At the core addiction
is about escape as a coping
mechanism. We have studies
about the effects of substances on
the brain and genetic predisposi-
tions to addiction. These things
can make it harder to overcome
addictions. It also can explain
why non-addicts can’t under-
stand why addicts do what they
do. The addiction process usually
starts as a way to cope with life
stressors.
Everyone has life stressors,
but some have more or ones
that are more severe than others.
Plus, we are all unique individu-
als and handle things differently.
Our genetics, personalities, envi-
ronments and stressors cause us
to choose different coping mech-
anisms to life’s challenges.
What are these stressors in
life? They can be many things,
but at the core is often self-image.
A healthy and biblical self-im-
age is “I am loveable by God and
others, I have worth and am as
good as others.” The opposite
of these feelings is self-hate.
This view of self can come from
attachment or nurture wounds.
They can also be triggered by
different forms of abuse. There
is also the stress from normal
life responsibilities – finances,
problem solving, relationship
conflicts, decisions that come
with becoming an adult. People
must learn to deal with negative
emotions such as depression,
anger, anxiety, guilt, shame,
regret, sorrow, specific phobias
and the list can go on. Fantasy is
less stressful than reality, so why
not escape to it?
Why it’s not a real solution?
Addictions do work but
only temporarily. That is why
people turn to them. In the
beginning, they are an easy
solution. It makes the person feel
free, euphoric, relaxed. It can
also supply courage, self-con-
fidence, along with grandiose
ideas. It seems so simple and
easy while true healthy coping
can be much harder. You have
to learn to live with the pain.
Process it and persevere. Many
have never learned how to do
this. They were never taught
healthy coping skills. We also
now live in an age of entitle-
ment and denial about how the
real world works. Many expect
life should be problem free, fair
and without struggle. These are
unrealistic expectations
Addictions are not a true
solution for the realities of life.
One reason is because the relief
doesn’t last; it eventually wears
off. Two is because you build a
tolerance to the substance. Now
the person has to use more to get
the same relief. This begins the
never-ending quest for supply
to overcome the constant fear
of running out of the substance.
The physical or psychological
dependency on the substance
becomes an obsession that takes
over the life. Another reason this
is not a real solution is the cost
of the addiction. What starts
as a way to cope with life takes
over the life and becomes a life
of its own. In the end, it will
cost the addict everything. They
can lose their job or business,
health, relationships, marriage,
family, freedom, reputation and
self-respect as their life fills with
shame. It may even cost them
their life. This is not a solution
but simply the development of a
greater problem than what they
started with. The theological
truth is that Satan is a liar and
deceiver and offers us counter-
feit solutions to the complexities
of life.
The real solution
God, who is the Creator
of life, knows how to make it
work even in a world under the
curse of sin. A lot of bad things
can happen to people, and life
is unfair and stressful. However,
as we have seen, addiction is
no true solution to anything.
Addicts have a certain mindset
that must change before they
can be helped. They are the
only ones who can change their
mindset. This usually requires
hitting bottom.The pain and cost
of the addiction must outweigh
the temporary pleasure of using.
This process is illustrated in
the story of the Prodigal Son in
Luke 15. When he woke up one
day in a pig pen the scripture
says, “he came to himself… I will
arise and go to my father and
say… I have sinned.” This is the
necessary motivational crisis
that produces a willingness to
get help to change.
To reach this point it is
crucial for all friends and loved
ones to not get in the way and
shield the person from the
negative consequences of the
addiction. This only delays the
bottoming out. It is very hard
watching someone you love go
through consequences, especial-
lywhen they include the possibil-
ity of death. To stop any enabling
is not the same as giving up on
the person. You can still reassure
them of your love as you show
tough love. You can attempt an
intervention. You can pray for
them realizing God loves them
more than you do. The theologi-
cal truth is that people have free
will. Only when they choose to
reach out for help are they ready
for help. Then God and others
can step in without enabling.
A Theology of Addiction
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