There is no independent, self - operating self in the universe, except the One who calls Himself the I AM {Exodus 3:14} and says, "I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside me."
Norman Grubb, No Independent Self
What is the price we pay daily to feed the lie we live? We struggle for money, power and influence all to satisfy that which has never existed. I could very well pose the question, what is the price of happiness? It has been estimated that around 140,000 people die each year from alcohol related illnesses. When you add to that the body bags we fill as a result of drug related illnesses you get a staggering number. I have a friend who has recently struggled with the demons of alcohol addiction. I myself have struggled with a few addictions in my life as well. With each and every addiction I fed into, I believed that I would be a happier person as a result. Obviously, I was wrong in that assumption. Happiness did not come to me as a result of food or stimulants. All I ended up gaining in the end was my own share of health issues. Although I have never struggled with hard core addiction issues, I have definitely seen its effects on others. I've watched a young man overdose on heroin only to be revived moments later after being administered narcan. I've watched a young lady miserable from her life on the streets and longing to see her family once again. They all had one thing in common, they believed that their next dose of their drug of choice would make everything better. Good luck with that. I've been down that road, and it got me nowhere as a result. If we remember one thing about addiction it's that they ALL have a underlying physical issue attached to them. Some used to refer to them as coping mechanisms, others called them a crutch. Whatever we choose to call them, rest assured we all deal with our issues differently. I'm not going to sit here and preach that Christians are somehow immune from the evils of addiction. I'm not that naive. If that were the case, I would have spared myself a lot of pain years ago. One thing that helped me to understand the nature of addiction was knowing the man that I am. Despite all the which the world tries to convince me, I know that my identity lies with the Lord and not myself.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
So, what is the lie which our addictions so easily feed into? The answer to that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden. When presented with a choice, they chose to believe in the lie which the deceiver presented to them {Genesis 3:4-5}. Satan enticed Adam and Eve into partaking of the forbidden fruit with the promise that they would "Be like God." Adam and Eve could not know it at that time, but they already WERE like God. They were created in His own image {Genesis 1:27}. It was God who had breathed into them the breath of life {Genesis 2:7}. How much more like their creator could they be? Yet, as I mentioned, they didn't know that at the time. Satan, the deceiver, did not stop there when it comes to spreading his lie. He has convinced millions of people that they and they alone are the center of their lives. I am me and God is God. That, in a nutshell, is the attitude which produces many an addiction. The belief that I can make myself satisfied and happy. What self is that speaking to? You? Are we to believe that we are separate from He who created us? That God somehow has no influence over our His creation? If we believe that, then we are succumbing to the very same lie which the accuser spoke to Adam and Eve. I am not foolish enough to believe that God is not in me. The apostle Paul spoke to this reality of Christ in us in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}. One of the most difficult revelations of the Lord we will ever encounter is His revelation of His Son is us. Paul realized this, and referred to it as the "secret among the nations{Colossians 1:27}." The world will tell us that we need material things to survive. God reminds us that all we need is Him {2 Corinthians 12:9}.
To whom God wills to make known what are the glorious riches of this secret among the nations, which is: Christ among you, the expectation of glory.
Colossians 1: 27, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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