Addiction!

It may surprise some, but I do read books other than the Bible. I even read books that are not specifically Christian! I enjoy a good crime novel, and have read many good stories in that genre. 

However, it is interesting to read stories that,although fictional, have a distinctively Christian flavour. One such is my current "extra-curricular" reading material. It is named "And He healed them all", by Jeffrey McClain Jones, sub-titled "A day in the life of Jesus of Nazareth".

The basic story-line is that James Wolfer goes to visit his old friend Walter Schrader in a nursing home, expecting to find his former professor as depressed as the last time he visited. However, instead of a dour Walter, mourning the disabilities left him by a recent stroke, James finds his friend excited to tell him about a compelling dream he had the previous night. In that dream, and many dreams that follow, Walter believes he is seeing a day in the life of Jesus. And it was a day in which a great multitude came to him, with a whole range of physical and spiritual ailments, and he healed them all. One of the passages (that I have highlighted, in full) concerns two girls who have been involved in 'paranormal activities', and who have been brought to the Lord Jesus for healing. Part of the story reads as follows:

"The Teacher addressed  them. 'Do you want to be free of these spirits? Do you choose to let go of this power?'

They checked with each other. ''Yes', they said, simultaneously.

The Teacher nodded. But when He reached for their hands, both girls stepped back.

Their mother grabbed their arms. 'You have to let Him do what you're asking Him to do. Do you want to be free, or not?'  ... ... ... ... ... 

"Each girl let Him take a hand. I had the impression that they had just attached themselves to a power source that was not entirely pleasant to touch. ... ... ... ... ... ... 

"The Teacher almost bellowed. 'Do you want to be free of these spirits? Do you choose to let go of this power?' It seemed that neither girl could speak, but they both managed to nod their heads, haltingly, against the force that radiated from the Teacher." (emphases added). Although this particular incident is the product of a man's imagination, it does bear some similarity to the incident involving the apostle, Paul, and recorded for us by Dr Luke, in Acts 16:16ff (q.v.).

In his account of the Gospel record, John relates an incident that took place in Jerusalem: "Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-za'tha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be healed?'" (John 5:2-6; emphasis added). I used to think that that was a rather pointless question. After all, the man would not have been there if he had not wished to be healed - would he?!

Addiction may be defined as "a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The word is most commonly associated with alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs (most of which are, in a majority of countries, illegal) but may,of course,apply to anything that has, effectively, taken over our lives. I may be addicted to chocolate (a very common addiction!); or to sport; or to work (yes - even to work!); or to gambling; or to watching TV Game Shows; etc., etc.

It is said that the first step in overcoming any addiction is the acceptance that one is, in fact, addicted! However, I would suggest that there is a required "second step" - and that is that one wishes for the addiction to be broken. I recall, just a year or so ago, asking a young friend who is addicted to nicotine if she honestly wanted to stop smoking cigarettes. To her credit, she was honest! She said, "No." I knew then, that although I had been praying for her deliverance for a long time (and continue to do so), she was not going to overcome her addiction - because she didn't want to do so!

The problem, I suspect, is one of the dependency that an addiction creates; and the 'comfort zone' that it provides! Sadly, there is also a vicious circle that can, like a whirlpool, suck a person down to the very depths of despair. I yield to the temptation to have just one drink; just one cigarette; just one pill; - and then feel so disappointed with myself, and my failure, that I take another! And so it goes on.

During my lifetime I have dealt with a number of addicts, addicted to various substances that are harmful to the human body. I have discovered something that is of extreme importance - that while organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Gamblers Anonymous, may help (and, for many people they do!), only Almighty God can heal (and He does!)!

The answer to these addictions, and every other one, is not to be found in a bottle, or a packet of cigarettes, or an online casino, but by yielding oneself to the indwelling power of God the Holy Spirit allows Him to have His way - and that is always for our good!

Do you truly want to be freed from your addiction? Then ask the Teacher for His help. He never turns anyone away!