Substance abuse affects people regardless of  our age, socio-economic status, racial, ethnic or religious  backgrounds.

Many of us have seen this problem with opioid addiction up close, and watched the metamorphosis of a relative or friend rapidly deteriorate to a shadow of their former self , and  in some cases,  like a stranger  to their family.  So it was with “Mike,” a loving husband , father of a 6–year old daughter, and a successful  business man. Then one day, Mike slipped on an icy step and fractured  his wrist.

His problem with addiction to  opioid pain killers started with a prescription for Oxycontin following  surgery. Mike decided, if one pill quieted the nagging pain in his hand, how much better two. From there, the downhill slide was rapid. Mike took the prescribed week’s worth of medication in three days, and he needed more to dull the pain of his healing wrist. Mike’s doctor gave him another week’s worth of pills, but after that no more.

Unable  to get more pills from his doctor, Mike soon found himself feeding his habit with heroin that he bought on the street. Eventually, unable to maintain employment, he sank further into hopeless despair.

Concerned friends and family set up an intervention session. That was the beginning of Mike’s recovery. He agreed to commit himself to go to rehabilitation with Teen Challenge. Mike went through the complete program, and after he was released, he continued with counseling for himself and marriage counseling with his wife.

During Mike’s rehabilitation, he experienced a calm peace that he never had before. He decided he wanted God to not only be a part of his life, but for God to guide his life going forward. That was seven years ago, since then, Mike has seen a healing in his marriage, and in his relationship with his young daughter. Today, Mike and his wife run a successful Bed and Breakfast in New Hampshire.

1.    Pay for someone’s cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate.
       You can even get gift cards in advance for Starbucks, Panera ect., and just casually hand one to someone behind you in
       line with a "this is for you", and walk away. Last time, I did this at Panera, the response was so cool. I handed one of
       these to a young mother with two little girls. She was happily surprised. Later, one of her girls maybe 8 or 9 years old,
       came to my table and thanked me again. The glow on her sweet, smiling face  was priceless!

2.    Give an hour of your time away to visit someone in a nursing home or hospital.

3.    Carry $10 or $20 in your pocket and look for an opportunity give it away.

4.    Pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant.

5.    Pay for some groceries.

6.   Make yourself available at your church or favorite charity to share  your knowledge or skills in your expertise
      (finance, technology, blogging, sales, job search assistance, management ect.)

7.    Tip a server a hundred dollars.

8.    Go shopping for a shut-in.

9.    Give your mailman, FedEx, UPS driver some snacks and drinks. They get pretty burnt out during the holiday season.

10.  Visit a nursing home and bring a sweet treat like chocolate or cookies for the nursing/care-taking staff.

11.  Write a glowing review on someone’s blog.

12.  Make a meal for a working mom, single dad or a new mom. Make four or five meals at the same time to take to
       several families.

13.  Donate teddy bears or other stuffed animals to a local children’s hospital.

14.  Complement a child, a teenager, a person in your age group, and an older person in the same day.

15.  Send an email or text message encouraging someone or offer a helpful link or resource.

16.  Pick up rubbish that you see at the beach, park, or on the street.

17.  Smile at every person you come across for the day.

18.  Buy a gift card to give away.

19.  Give someone flowers - for no particular reason, just because.

20.  Forgive someone  was hurt you and let go of the anger and resentment against them.

21.  Forgive yourself for not being perfect, saying or doing something you shouldn’t have.

22.  Ask someone what was the best part of their day and give them your full undivided attention when they tell you.

23. Give a Wendy's, Burger King or MacDonald's gift card to a homeless person. Even a $5 gift card will get a meal for them.

24.  Offer to babysit, so the parents can have  date night out.

25.  Take care of yourself first so you can be generous to others from a place of abundance and not of need.

 

Give, but not be grudgingly; God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
 
Our God is generous, He gives and gives and gives. He gave us His Son! (John 3:16)
 
God the Son, Jesus Christ gives us eternal life! (John 17:2)
 
Be a blessing to others and you will be blessed and full of joy. Watch your motives for giving. Every good gift is from God and we are stewards, caretakers of all that God has given us: our resources, talents, health, family, money. (Ecclesiastes 5:19, Matthew 6:1 -4, James 1:17)
 
Be generous and you will thrive. (Proverbs11:24 -28)
 
Be obedient and don’t be selfish. (Psalm119:36)
 
A selfish person, a greedy person is never satisfied. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
 
Be charitable to the poor. (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)
 
Care for the poor, and God will deliver, protect and heal you. (Psalm 41:1-3)
 
Jesus said, when you were generous to the least of these, you were doing it as unto God. (Matthew 25:40)
 
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord. (Proverbs 19:17)

Turning one’s back on the poor is an offense to God, and He will turn His back on that person. (Proverbs 21:3)

Generosity glorifies God. (2 Corinthians 9:13)
 

"Sin is a disease of the human heart. It affects the mind, and the will , and the emotions. Every part of our being is affected by this disease.There is no other way of salvation except through the cross of Christ." From Billy Graham's Last Message to America and the World. ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4TMuee7Ir8 )

God loves you, just the way you are! He unmistakably proved His great love for you, for me, for us, by giving His Beloved Son in exchange for our restoration from sin, so that we could spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Haven't we done things we regret, things we are ashamed of? God knows all about it, and He still wants to have a close and personal relationship with us! To start this amazing relationship, God requires us to believe who Christ is, what He did and to ask Him to lead, guide and direct our lives going forward.

God gave His best, the sinless One, Jesus. All we can give God in return is our brokenness. In return, He will make us “new.” He can break the chains of anything that holds us captive! He is able, believe, and just ask Him.
​

Some recent statistics regarding the ever-expanding opioid epidemic in the U.S.:

In 2015, on an average day in the U.S., 78 people die from an opioid-related overdose 1 *According to Spotlight on SAMHSA Resources May 10, 2017, on an average day 91 people die from an opioid-related overdose. 2   
 
In 2015, approximately 20.8 Million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year. 3

Rates of major depressive episodes among young people are rising. From 2005 to 2015, the rate has grown from 8.8% to 12.5% in youth aged 12 - 17. 3

One in four adults, who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year seriously contemplated ending their life.3


1. www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/Factsheet-opioids-061516.pdf
IMS Health National Prescription Audit1 / SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health2 / CDC National Vital Statistics System
2. www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/NewsEvents/UCM558387.pdf
*Opioid-related overdose include those involving prescription opioids and illicit opioids such as heroin.

3. www.recoverymonth.gov/sites/default/files/toolkit/2017-data-visualizations.pdf

​In his own words: “I have a lot of experience relapsing. The recovery process does not happen overnight, nor is it painless, but there’s ‘hope after dope’. It’s about a process not an event.”
 
Who is an addict? Oh yeah, I am most definitely a dope fiend! When the drugs of my choice, opiates and Coke, whispered in my head, I jumped to the call. While I was “high”, I constantly obsessed about using and buying drugs, and I lied. In spite of overdoses, close calls with death, and numerous stays at rehab facilities, as long as I was under the influence of narcotics, nothing else mattered. I convinced myself, that it was okay to use drugs. It was as if my low self-esteem rose up to kill me, and after several blackouts and a run-in with the law, I became a recluse. I thought that if I stayed at home and did not go out, I would be able to stay clean and out of trouble. That worked for a very short time, because as soon as I thought, I was okay and left my house, I would find somebody to cop from or get high with.
 
Last year a drug counselor told me that I have a chemical-biological poisoning, and if I continued to use drugs, I would die. It was not until about a year or a year and a half ago, that I was ready to acknowledge my addiction. It’s by my own poor choices that I ran amok and allowed drugs to turn my life upside down. Drugs are my weakness and a familiar old crutch, but I admit that I can’t handle them anymore. Using had a destructive effect on my relationships, health, and finances. Worst of all it, it affected my relationship with God. My addiction was on the throne, and I was the footstool.
 
I am starting to believe, that I was an addict even before I began using. My life has been in chaos due to my drug use. I can no longer live and use and my survival instinct to tell me if I want to live, I must totally abstain from all mood-altering chemicals. It grieves me to realize the pain, confusion and alienation I caused my family and me. Without God I am stuck in self-pity. He never left me or rejected me, I left Him.
 
I trust that keeping certain tools in place will keep me connected to my recovery. For me, that means being accountable to God first, developing my relationship with Him through prayer and time in the Word, and participating in a solid support system. I need to be accountable to someone for my growth in Christ. Only a close walk with the Lord will keep me drug-free. I have a lot to be grateful for and a grateful addict will never use. The addict in me resists any change in lifestyle, but I cannot have growth without change. I must grow in spite of my pain and fear of a “clean self”.
 
* Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV *
 
 
 
THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION, AMERICA’S LARGEST HEALTHCARE PHILANTHROPY, CONTINUES TO IDENTIFY SUBSTANCE ABUSE AS THE COUNTRY’S NUMBER ONE HEALTH PROBLEM !
 

 
 

 
Over 23 years ago, “Nat” was delivered from addictions ranging from grass to hard drugs. He credits God alone for his complete recovery. The author asked Nat to share from his experience.
 
CSABC: “How did you get clean and stay off drugs all these years?”
 
Nat: “I was delivered from IV drug addiction, all at once, before I even had a relationship with the Lord. A few years later, when I became a born-again believer, I was delivered from the last strongholds separating me from the Lord, alcohol and smoking weed. At the time, I wanted to stop getting high. It was ruining my health and I was desperate, but I couldn’t stop. The day I got saved, I cried out to God and in His mercy He took away my compulsion to get high. God’s deliverance and restoration is a wonderful gift and as long as I choose to keep this gift and remain in a close relationship with Him, I will stay clean and free. For me it’s just that simple. If, however, I choose to start using again, I believe that my life will immediately spin out of control and the consequences will be devastating.
 
CSABC: “What is addiction?”
 
Nat: Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a disease that destroys the abuser’s life. Whether you have a genetic predisposition to become an addict or not, the fact is that if you take drugs, for any amount of time, you will become addicted. Genetically predisposed on not, it doesn’t matter. Anyone and everyone who starts dropping, snorting, shooting or smoking, prescribed or illegal drugs will become addicted sooner or later. I used, I became addicted and incidentally, no one else in my family ever had this “problem” before me.”
 
CSABC: “Shouldn’t all followers of Christ be able to live free from addictions and other compulsive behaviors?”
 
Nat: “God sometimes delivers people instantaneously and completely from substance abuse. Sometimes God delivers people over a period of time. For whatever reasons, many Believers struggle with repeat cycles of relapse and recovery. Everyone is different, and other factors like physical and mental health issues also have to be considered. In any case, learning to trust the Lord for guidance, healing and restoration is an ongoing, step by step process. But it is also a sure way to stay “clean.”
 
CSABC: “So if it’s just a matter of choice, it sounds pretty easy like; ‘just say no,’ right? “
 
Nat: “Yeah, that may sound easy, but it’s not very realistic. There are social pressures like wanting to fit in, ignorance about addiction, or maybe the nightmare starts with prescribed pain medication or tranquilizers. Regardless of how it starts, when you’ve “got to have it,” you’ve already become an addict. Many kids start taking drugs at a young age. Preventative drug education should be mandatory in grade school. Being introduced to the ugly consequences of substance abuse would certainly establish the fact that drugs are neither harmless nor cool.”
 
CSABC: “What would you tell a fellow-believer struggling with addiction and repeatedly “picking up?”
 
Nat: “I would suggest that this person admit that he or she needs help and check into a rehabilitation
program, preferably one that is Christ–centered. Those suffering from mental illness and/or serious health issues need a facility that is equipped to address all those issues as well as the addiction. The Mayo clinic in Minnesota is one of the best places with in and outpatient programs that address all the mental and physical issues as well as substance abuse (alcoholism and drug addiction). After completing the rehabilitation program, I would recommend that he or she gets a same-sex sponsor or mentor.
 
A mature Christian, to disciple and hold the recovering addict accountable. It is vital to develop a solid support network with other Believers in recovery through church, faith-based 12-step programs, and small support groups under church authority.
 
CSABC: “How does having a relationship with Jesus Christ impact the problem of addiction?”
 
Nat: “Drug addiction is all consuming, but so is the Holy Spirit in a life dedicated to follow Christ. When God touched my heart, through someone’s testimony, I submitted myself to God’s authority. I fell in love with Jesus, and getting to know Him became my obsession, so to speak. As I studied the Bible, I also learned about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I knew, I needed this power in my life, and prayed intensely for it. The power of Holy Spirit broke all demonic activity in my life, including the desire to get high.”
 
CSABC: “Since so many in The Body of Christ are secretly struggling with addiction and its stigma, how can the church get involved?”
 
Nat: “First, by openly addressing chemical dependency issues from the pulpit. Then by providing godly, professional counseling within the church, and establishing biblical recovery and 12-step programs for those dealing with chemical dependency as well as for family members living under the shadow of someone else’s addiction and compulsive behaviors.”
 
* Nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37 NIV*
 
 
Group Discussion
 
1. Is substance abuse a physical, mental and/or spiritual problem? Explain.
2. What are some warning signs that might indicate that someone you know or love has a problem with drug or alcohol abuse? Can you name five of them?
3. How would you approach a friend or family member about their substance abuse problem? Be specific.
3. Would you feel comfortable talking to a pastor or another Christian about this problem? Why?
Why not?
 
 
SOURCES
1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health,” last referenced. October1, 2003. August 22, 2005.
< http://www.family.samhsa.gov/set/signs.aspx>
 
2. SAMHSA’s National Mental Health Information Center,
“Trends in Substance Use, Dependence or Abuse, and Treatment among Adolescents: 2002 to 2007.” December 4, 2008.November 26,2012. <http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Many of us know someone whose life is out of control because of drugs or alcohol. Perhaps it is a close friend, a spouse, a child, or some other family member. Even legally obtained alcohol, pain medications, and nicotine can quickly result in dependency. As believers we are to be salt and light in the world, but when one part of the Body suffers, the whole Body is affected. We have to be well ourselves before we can help others. “Confronting Substance Abuse in the Body of Christ” provides concerned Christians with practical information and faith-based resources to combat the destructive impact of addiction. For information addressing substance abuse from a biblical as well as from a societal standpoint, click on the CSABC link to download the Confronting Substance Abuse in the Body of Christ manual. 

​Substance abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way. It contributes to property crimes, the spread of STDs, teen pregnancy, prostitution, traffic accidents, domestic violence and child neglect and abuse. Although heroin and cocaine usage has declined in the U.S., these gains have been countered by an increased abuse of synthetic “designer drugs”, prescription pain medications and several new drug-use profiles are also emerging.1 “Confronting Substance Abuse in the Body of Christ” presents basic information to address the critical problem of substance abuse, because in some way this modern-day plague affects all of us. Addiction is a medical problem, a psychological problem, and a spiritual problem. Although some people may be genetically inclined to become dependent sooner than others, anyone who regularly abuses drugs, chemicals, or alcohol will become both physically and psychologically addicted.
 
Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-step program, has helped countless individuals to stay “clean and sober.” However, many Christians have a problem with the vagueness of the so-called “higher power.” Some 12-step participants consider the program itself to be their “higher power” and the sole source of their sobriety. It is a wonderful fact that many become new believers in Christ or rededicate themselves to Him while working through these 12-step programs. However, Christians are often ostracized or ridiculed at these meetings when they try to share what God is doing in their life.
 
There are alternatives for Christians in recovery. Teen Challenge and international, Christ-centered, 12-step programs like Overcomers Outreach and Celebrate Recovery, the latter program also combines eight principles based on the Beatitudes. These programs are having dramatic results as the power of Christ is healing and restoring individuals and family members working through various life-issues. Within the gender-specific groups, people eventually form mentoring and accountability relationships that provide support and also encourage a deeper dependency on the Lord.

The following story is about a friend I will simply refer to as “Lorraine.” When I first met Lorraine, she was a young, vibrant mother devoted to her husband and children. Lorraine was dedicated to her church family and very involved with an outreach ministry. Her life was calm and peaceful, until she contracted Lyme’s Disease from a tick bite. The Lyme’s triggered multiple health problems and Lorraine became very ill. Over the following years, she suffered with increasingly severe chronic pain. During that period Lorraine also became addicted to pain medication. Her life became out of control with irrational behaviors, frequent visits to the Emergency Room and random blackouts. Her husband and teenage son lived with constant worry never knowing what to expect next.
 
When Lorraine attended church, she could be seen after the service weeping at the altar, or being prayed over, but few knew about her struggle with addiction to pain medication. She would habitually stop using for a brief period of time, but then relapse. One night, she died in her sleep of a massive heart attack. Although Lorraine’s premature death was not directly caused by a drug overdose, her frail health was further compromised by her dependency on Oxycontin and Percocet.
 
Lorraine’s case is not unique. There are many Christians of all ages, who drink or drug to excess and struggle secretly with their addictions.
 
The stigma and aversion connected with substance abuse often reinforces the abuser’s hesitation to seek counsel or help. One misleading claim is that all people who take drugs are morally weak or have criminal tendencies. Another is that addicts and alcoholics can stop drinking and drugging if they would just be willing to change their behavior.4 Those of us living with husbands, wives, sons and daughters, who have committed themselves to follow Christ, can’t understand why they repeatedly slip back into abusing alcohol or drugs and can’t get delivered. These and other misconceptions about addiction sustain our prejudices.
 
Many people in our communities view substance abuse and addiction as strictly social problems, but for the Christian this problem goes far beyond being socially or morally objectionable. The Bible says that the body of the believer belongs to God (1Cor 6:19, 20). Therefore, defiling one’s body with drugs, alcohol or nicotine is committing sin. This parasitic disease, called addiction, destroys its host’s spiritual, physical, and mental health. It is an exhausting obsession that captures the abuser’s thoughts and attention, making every other concern secondary. Even to the point of the abuser neglecting a one-time fervent and intimate relationship with the Lord.
 
Some, including those who are addicted themselves, may not believe that a Spirit-filled Christian could really become addicted to drugs, alcohol or chemicals. To compound the matter, many churches remain silent or declare that no one in their church has a substance abuse problem. The scorn associated with alcoholism and addiction, conceived through ignorance and denial, keeps us from facing the fact that this problem affects people from all social, racial, and religious backgrounds. No one group is exempt, and unfortunately, even Christians can become addicted.

Lorraine’s case is not unique. There are many Christians of all ages, who drink or drug to excess and struggle secretly with their addictions.
 
The stigma and aversion connected with substance abuse often reinforces the abuser’s hesitation to seek counsel or help. One misleading claim is that all people who take drugs are morally weak or have criminal tendencies. Another is that addicts and alcoholics can stop drinking and drugging if they would just be willing to change their behavior.4 Those of us living with husbands, wives, sons and daughters, who have committed themselves to follow Christ, can’t understand why they repeatedly slip back into abusing alcohol or drugs and can’t get delivered. These and other misconceptions about addiction sustain our prejudices. ​

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