For everything that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of living, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2: 16, Concordant New Testament
It's been said that one of the toughest parts of overcoming any addiction is that moment when it stares you in the face once again. Like an old friend, it comes knocking once again seeking your attention. Those who have been through the process of alcoholics anonymous know full well the benefit of having a "sponsor" to assist in guiding them through the post addiction process. When the times get hard, and those old friends are knocking at the door once again, it is good to have someone to call on who has walked the same path as you are. Scripture tells us that no one man can go through life's adverse situations on his own {Ecclesiastes 4:12]. So, it's good to have a helper to assist in guiding us through the tough times in life. The interesting thing about our addictions is that they can come in many shapes and sizes. Alcohol and drugs no longer corner the market on addiction. Many are those who have found themselves enslaved to food, sex, cigarettes and other things which may not be the best for us. I've known a few of these addictions myself. One of the toughest lessons I've learned as I have struggled to overcome my addictions is that they never completely go away. Sooner or later you will once again come face to face with that which enslaved you for so long. What will you do? Will you once again fall into the pit of addiction. The short term recovery rate for alcoholics seeking treatment is between 20 and 50 percent. Think about that, if you are a alcoholic, you have a 50 percent chance of beating it. Not to overuse a pun...but that is a sobering statistic. One thing I have noticed is the lack of faith based addiction recovery programs available out there. Granted, each church may indeed have their own recovery programs, but the guilt and shame of publicly admitting addiction can be a tough pill to swallow. From being in my share of churches, I can say that many congregations see addiction recovery as failed sinners. Who wants to deal with that label? And yet, the very essence of the sin which once enslaved all mankind is that it continues to be something to be reckoned with each day.
Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, being roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living, He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
Not too long ago, as I struggled to understand the entire sin and death of sin issue which the Apostle Paul speaks to in Romans 6, a good friend of mine compared that sin to the minions of my former life continuing to attempt to convince me that they were still relevant in my life. It is, indeed, a accurate description. For anyone who has seen the Minions animated films, you know that these creatures can be, as our own sin has proven to be, quite convincing. They will repeatedly try to climb over the walls of their former home in you to once again establish residency. That is the reason for the 20 to 50 percent recovery rate for alcoholism. This is the reason so many continue to struggle with the demons that have tortured them for so long. A big part of my own recovery is recognizing that the minions never really go away. They simply await their next opportunity. As former residents in your life, they KNOW what it takes to once again entice you. They knock on the door promising you the same enjoyment which you craved before. However, that can be your defense mechanism if you let it. Not long ago, the minions came knocking at my door one night. I was alone, nobody there to talk to, so once again I followed the minions to their destination. But then something funny happened. For instead of the minions leading me, the Lord was assuring me that THIS was not the man I was created to be. I wasn't that guy the minions wanted me to be. So I ditched the minions. I had been reminded that, through the death of Christ at the cross, that I was no longer a slave to those sins I once struggled with. I am a new creation. Of course, the minions will continue to entice me that they deserve a place in me as well.
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment