ADDICTION
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to
him and fell on his knees before him. “Good
teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call
me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not
murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give
false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have
kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you
lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Mark 10:17-22
If he was obeying all the
commandments, wasn’t that good enough? Why
did he have to sell everything instead of 10% tithe?
Why? Because the money stood between him and God. The money, being rich, is who he was and
getting rid of the money would mean he had to change. And change is hard.
It is so easy to use the word
addiction and only think of drugs, alcohol, and gambling, but addiction is
anything that stands between us and God and addiction comes in many forms. We can be addicted to money, fame, our
standing in the community, and drugs. We
can be addicted to shopping, the appearance of our homes and ourselves, and
alcohol. We can be addicted to anger,
hate, fear, worry, and gambling. Addiction
is what we hold onto instead of holding onto God.
No one wants to be addicted. Often we do not realize we are addicted. Many things sound perfectly fine: I don’t get mad that often. I only shop when the new styles come out. That is not really an addiction. I am not addicted. I can quit when I want. I can walk away. I can change.
Want to know something amazing? We can change! We can walk away! We can give up whatever it is that stands
between us and God!
Our daughter went to Celebrate
Recovery because she was supporting a young man who got himself in trouble. Taking him, being there for him was a way to direct him in a different direction. Did it work? Yes, but not in the way she expected.
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