Addiction Remedied by Religious Conversion

[The following article was submitted by Matt Timmons, Hopewell's teaching elder, as a letter to the editor in Ashland's newspapers.  It's aim was to help combat the rising problem of drug & heroin addiction in the Ashland area.  For assistance with addiction recovery contact Matt or visit our addictions page.]

Heroin and drug use are the number one problems facing the Ashland area today.  Reports of their destruction come out daily and drug related deaths are skyrocketing. 
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But users and their families should know that deliverance is possible.  There is a way to escape the cult of addiction and religion of substance abuse.  It is by turning to Jesus Christ, and beginning to worship the true and living God.

We’ve been conditioned to think that the answer to addiction is found in a twelve step program, a stint at a recovery facility, or better law enforcement tactics.  But the ultimate solution is not in behavioral modification, educational programs, or conditioning.  The only real and lasting remedy is wholesale religious conversion. 

While we can be thankful for the existence of such programs we must recognize that something deeper is at stake.  Addiction, at its most fundamental level, is a cult.  It is primarily a religious issue having to do with servitude and worship.

The Bible says that we are either slaves to God or to something else.  A slave of God will serve the Lord and have Him as the supreme object of his delight.  An idolater will serve some other object (such as drugs, drink, sex, etc.) and will find his primary delight in it.

This is the nature of addiction.  The drink or drug becomes your master.  It once served you; it relieved your pain or gave you a little pleasure.  But now it rules you.  You have come to feel that you cannot live without it.  You crave it, throw your money at it, and give it an absurd amount of attention. 
It has become your religion.

It is deeper than mere appetite.  It is a matter of faith.  For the drug has become the object of trust:  It is relied upon for happiness.  It promises to save, fulfill, and relieve your pains.  You believe in it and rely upon it as the only hope of satisfaction.

The worship is further seen in that the addict can’t bring himself to stop.  Addicts will try to stop, but they can’t.  The drug has become an idol to whom they are religiously devoted.  It is the dominant force in their life.

If an addict is to be helped, he must acknowledge that he does not have a drug problem per se.  He must admit that he has a faith problem.  It is not so much about what is injected, smoked, or swallowed as much as it is about what is worshiped, adored, and served. 

Thus, the road to recovery (i.e. redemption) lies in religious conversion.  It is by repentance and turning to the one who is the one and only living God, the one who offers true life and eternal salvation. 

All in all, the cleansing of the veins and clearing of the mind begins with a cleansing of the heart and clarity on the issue of idolatry.

In future articles we will explore more of the religious nature of addiction and how the Christian faith provides a means of escape.  In the meantime, addicts (and affected loved ones) can explore the recovery helps that Hopewell offers at hopewellashland.com.

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