Jeremiah 22: 19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress,
to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say,
Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.
What are the roots of addictive behavior?
Two weeks ago I was able to share with over a hundred people the dynamics of addictive behavior. Pastors Ron Peaks and Doug Glanton invited me to speak at a gathering of several congregations and we had a good time. I gave them the formula developed by M. Douglas reed, an old friend and a Ph. D. Psychologist who worked with us at Life Way for several years. Doug is an expert in addictions.
AB = C + D is the formula and it means Addictive Behavior is the combination of Compulsive and Dependent habits. Compulsions arise out of a desire to reduce inner pain such as guilt, shame, boredom, etc. Dependencies arise from a desire to get an artificial high.
A person can be Compulsive without being addicted or Dependent without being Addicted. When we are both trying to reduce pain and get high we are Addicted. This is why the worship of the One True God is such a powerful antidote to Addictions.
We too often turn to false gods to seek relief of distress and to be artificially happy but, in the words of the scripture, they do no good. The false gods of alcohol, drugs, food, sex, work or exercise may reduce the inner pain and give us an artificial high for a time but in the long run they lead to death of the soul and body.
Many believers turn to false gods after a crisis or when they forget the true God and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. A few years ago a local clergyman was discovered to have stolen several hundred thousands of dollars from his church. The investigation indicated he had gotten involved in the false gods of gambling, nice cars and spending.
We are relatively sure this man started out as a true believer and a worshipper of God. What happened to him, Jimmy Swaggart and others who have been in similar predicament? We do not know exactly but we have worked with enough others to think that he "lost his first love".
On the outside he looked like a fervent and godly man but he hid behind the mask of respectability and medicated his pain with bets. He forcefully led the last Billy Graham Mission but his compulsive behavior was even on display there but none of us confronted him effectively.
20 Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!
21 Therefore I will teach them, this time I will teach them
my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD.
The answer to our inner pain and to the desire for a natural high is "The power and might of the one true God. Drugs may reduce my guilt for a season but God can replace it with grace and mercy forever.
Gambling or work may give me an artificial high for a moment but God's Spirit can give me transcendence and joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Unfortunately, many churches no longer lead their people into transcendent and joyful experiences leaving their people with the job of "looking for peace and joy" in false gods of money, sex and rock music. Come on church; return to worship that encounters God.
posted by Gary Sweeten @ Saturday, July 22, 2006
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