Addiction

A man is an addict; he consumes not only his desired escape, but slowly his own demise. For some this will destroy a family, for others it will provide a valley from which to rise but for all it will create a divide within the soul. If this man has wealth and notoriety he will check himself into an expensive rehab program. If another man uses his wealth or lack there of to prolong his addiction, then he may resort to panhandling or other degrading behaviors to continue living and in most cases living with his addiction. Should this group with little to no money be seen as a problem to sweep under the rug and forgotten about? No, they should be afforded the appropriate help as well. We applaud the Celebrities for taking their fortunes and getting better but when it comes to the less monetarily wealthy they are seen as a disgrace, or a failure. Others will argue that it is their Karmic Justice for the seeds of disseat they sowed. Perhaps it is some form of justice but what good is it for them or anyone else to let this human life waste away. For many all they need is help in understanding how to battle urges and a system of support to pull them through. If anyone you know has an addiction whether it is substance related, sexually related or, gamboling related, do the Christian thing and regardless of their belief or their frustration lend a hand and let them know you are there to help. Specifically, sexual and gamboling addiction, these addictions rip families apart and many times it is seen as something that shouldn’t be addressed or worried about because they are just phases, but phases can turn to addictions quickly and before you know it someone is participating in illegal activity to keep there addiction fed. Put pride aside and do the right thing address the issue. If you let your pride or someone else’s get in the way everyone may be worse for the ware. If you don’t know where to begin consult a Counselor, a Pastor, or any addiction agency and they will be more then happy to help. Addiction can be beat but it can only be beat if we put the stigma aside and help each other. Isn’t that what we are here for anyway?

YOU or GOD

The southern accent wafts in, the big thousand dollar smile blinds, and the three piece suit oozes dollar bills while a preacher addresses a stadium, “All YOU have to do is accept Jesus as YOUR personal Savior and obstacles will fall, the heavens will open and YOUR life will be tenfold more joyous!” My favorite thing to hear large main line Ministers, Televangelists, and Mega-church propagandists say is that there is a simple solution. All YOU have to do is accept Jesus as YOUR savior. Just like YOU pick a personal trainer, or YOU pick a Politician, YOUR favorite American Idol, or YOU pick YOUR favorite team. It is completely dependent on YOU not God, not Jesus, but YOU. YOU are the in control of YOUR own future YOU decide what is important nobody can tell YOU YOUR wrong because who knows better then Y…O….U.
When Moses crossed the Red Sea who was in control? When David fought Goliath who controlled the sling? When Daniel was in the lion’s den, who kept Daniel safe? When Jesus wants nothing more then another way out who tells him to stay the course? When that hard time hit and YOU made it through who was in control? Was it Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus, or even YOU?
When YOU or I are responsible for OUR faith WE screw up, WE want to know God so bad that WE make ourselves the center to which the entire spiritual universe revolves. When GOD is responsible for our faith we can’t screw it up we become bound within a framework WE were too busy to notice. When all of the YOU, WE, and I statements become you, we and i statements we can rise above knowing GOD and truly experience GOD, an experience that isn’t miles and miles away but right here.
In this experience with GOD our Faith becomes a reaction as opposed to an action. We are faithful because our eyes are opened and we can see for the first time that GOD is much more then OUR acceptance but GODs acceptance of us. An Acceptance GOD gave us through Grace in Jesus. Not, an acceptance WE earn through Jesus.