Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
February 16, 2003 - W0307

President Bush gave a press release about a year ago on the results of Americaís health checkup. He cites that 14 million Americans are addicted to alcohol. Another 16.6 million are addicted to drugs. The cost of our drug addiction as a nation is $150 billion. Add to that another $130 billion for nicotine addiction, smokingÖ And thatís just last year alone. On top of that, the President noted that crimes directly related to drug and alcohol use range from 40 - 70%. Furthermore, 20 - 30% of all suicides are also drug or alcohol-related. The sad bottom line is that these numbers donít even begin to include the many other addictions people struggle with.

What is an addiction? An addiction is a habitual compulsion. Itís an uncontrollable craving that causes a person to act in such a way that, although they know itís harmful, they simply canít stop. And this behavior ultimately destroys them: ìÖBy what a man is overcome, by this he is enslavedî (2 Pet. 2:19).

ìI am the Lord thy God. Thou shall have no other gods before me.î (Ex. 20:3)

This next statement isnít necessarily fact, more conjecture on my part but I believe that some people in the Old Testament were possessed (or controlled) by demons. Today America rejects that kind of possession and the devil knows that. So in order to steal, kill, and destroy your future, the devil has to be clever. I wonder if addiction is a modern-day form of possession. Maybe Satan comes into our lives in the form of an addiction and we readily accept that kind of possession because itís so common.

Q1: Have you ever or are you now struggling with an addiction? How have you overcome (or how are you presently overcoming) that addiction?      

How can we prevent ourselves from being caught in the current of addiction? First we have to identify the addiction and understand what causes itÖ

MAJOR CAUSES OF ADDICTION:

Major causes of addiction are not addictions in and of themselves. Rather, they are dangerous habits that can lead to an addiction. We have to watch out for these in our own lives:

?        Desires Uncontrolled (a.k.a. Cravings)

The Bible speaks about wrongful or fleshly desires and it doesnít matter how holy we think we are, we all have these wrong, fleshly desires. The answer to these wrongful desires is strong medicine: self-control. ìBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-controlÖî (Gal. 5:22-23).

Craving is a characteristic that you must not tolerate in your life. As soon as you sense a craving, kill it. Why? Because sooner or later it takes control. Then your heart becomes susceptible to other addictions because you are used to giving yourself over to cravings.

In our society we often let go of restraint and self-control to get what we want. Essentially we begin to worship what we desire and then compromise everything else. However, be very careful because it will absolutely destroy your heart if you give in to these desires. Instead exercise self-control.

?        Discouragement      

Discouragement can make you depressed. Depression can lead to desperation, and desperation typically leads to foolishness. Thatís why itís so important for you to stay near to the Lord. Then, although we ìwalk  through the valley of the shadow of death,î we wonít have to fear any evil because ìYou are with us.î God will carry you through your valleys. And, always remember, God will never take you through a valley wherein He will not replace something of equal or greater value if you will walk with Him.

?        Broken Dreams

Many times broken dreams can lead to an addiction in an attempt to self-medicate or numb the pain. However, if God has a dream for your life, please know that it cannot be thwarted by someone elseís mistakes or sins. Not even your own. If God wants it to come to pass, Heíll resurrect it. Sometimes God allows dreams to be broken because they are lesser dreams. Jesus said, ìAnything that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprootedî (Mt. 15:13). So if God has broken your dream, donít go after it. Why? One great reason: The sorrow of a broken dream will be nothing compared to the sorrow you will feel if the dream you crave is not from God.

?        Dumb Friends

ìThe deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry and sorcery or witchcraft.î (Gal. 5:19)

The most common way weíre introduced to drugs or other addictions is through the wrong kinds of friends. These people usually convince us by saying, ìCome on, whatís so bad about drugs? I only use it occasionally. And witchcraft? What does that have to do with drugs?î

Did you know that the Greek word for ëwitchcraftí is pharmakeia, the same root word for ëpharmacyí? Witchcraft involves the use of illicit drugs to enhance oneís communion with the gods. It puts people into a trance where they feel they can better hear from the spirits. Itís like hypnosis because it puts you under its spell so you enter a hallucinatory state. Then your mind and spirit are receptive to the enemyís control. Thatís called witchcraft.

You see the devil knows we would never readily accept witchcraft. So instead, he entices us with other things. Now, when we open our spirit to these enticements, we become more responsive to others. And the devil can tempt us even more. Next we begin to try drugs. Then, in that uncontrolled state, Satan is free to do his work. And the sad thing is no one really notices. Thus addiction takes hold of our lives and a type of witchcraft becomes acceptable. Thanks to an unfortunate introduction from the wrong kinds of friends.

Q2: Of the 4 major causes of addictionóuncontrolled desires, discouragement, broken dreams and dumb friendsówhich ones are you susceptible to? Why? Pray over these and place a protective covering over your heart and your life.

To walk confidently in the midst of slave-maker gods, we must first identify and recognize major causes of addiction. Next, we must apply three principles to help us with our walk. Since a major cause of addiction is dumb friends, the first principle that will help you walk confidently is to:

1.     CHOOSE FRIENDS WISELY.

ìWhoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm.î (Pr. 13:20 NLT) ìDo not be deceived: ëBad company corrupts good morals.íî (1 Cor. 15:33)

Next read this long but very valuable passage that gives excellent counsel for our kids:

ìMy son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, ëCome with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purseíóMy son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your feet from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.î (Pr. 1:10-16)

This passage has two key two points: First, if you are a dad, teach your children about peer pressure and the dangers of it. Second, teach them to choose friends wisely. That is so very important because your childís friends can and will impact what lifestyle theyíll choose as an adult. Make sure they choose friends wisely and avoid the ìdumb friendsî we mentioned earlier.

So what is a dumb friend? A dumb friend is someone who leads you away from God. On the other hand, a good friend is someone who is committed to Godís best in your life and will always usher you to the Lord. And, further than that, a best friend will take the risk of your anger to counsel you toward Godís best. The trouble is that when a friend advises us on Godís best, we sometimes reject their guidance and do our own thing anyway. Essentially we sabotage the potential best friend that God sent us. Choose friends wisely!

Another great guideline in relationships is to become friends first, before you begin a more intimate relationship. That way you can make sure that they are a good friend who is committed to Godís best for themselves and for you. And beyond that they have become a ìbest friend,î who risks your rejection to still counsel you to Godís best. Because that is a non-negotiable quality you will need in a spouse. Both of you will have to have it for your marriage to survive.

Q3: Take an honest look at who you select as your friends. Do you have good friends or dumb friends? And, do you have a true ìbest friendî who counsels you to Godís best?

Q4: Who would you like to have as a good friend in this next season of your life?

Q5: In looking for a relationship, are you seeking Godís best for the person youíre interested in? How so?

The first step to walking confidently in Godís ways is to choose friends wisely. The second thing to help you in the midst of a society filled with slave-maker gods is to:

2.     DEFINE CONTENTMENT BIBLICALLY!

The simple definition of contentment is ìbeing near to God.î Thatís all that we need to be truly satisfied! He promises that if we seek Him with all of our hearts, then everything else we need will be added to our livesófood, clothing, spouse, etc. Our line of contentment should not be raised above what we basically need. Then if God adds to us above our basic needs, we can freely serve and help. If our line of contentment is raised by us, then weíre not satisfied and we canít feel we have enough to give and serve others.

ìAnd if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.î (1 Tm. 6:8) ìHow blessed is the one whom Thou dost choose, and bring near to TheeÖWe will be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, Thy holy temple.î (Ps. 65:4)

Our challenge is that we live in a society that is constantly raising the requirements for what it takes to be content. Society defines contentment as having to have certain relationships or things: like a car, house, digital gadgets, clothes, and so on. Then weíre never truly satisfied; we keep needing more and more to be happy.

Statistics tell us that 78% of our population is in debt, and can you guess why? Because the definition of contentment is off. And thatís how the devil infiltrates our lives in order to steal, kill and destroy. Heís so subtle, we donít even notice it. However, when we define our contentment Biblically, everything else will just be icing on the cake.

Q4: Is having God, food & clothing enough for you? What is your honest definition of ìenoughî?

God is saying, ìLet Me show you how to live in a society of slave-maker gods where many people are enslaved by debt. Follow these simple principles by first choosing friends wisely. Next, by making sure your level of contentment is Biblically defined.î And the final principle that helps us live in a society filled with slave-maker gods is to start to:

3.     SPEAK TRUTH IN YOUR HEART.

ìO Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.î (Ps. 15:1-2)

One of the causes of going over the edge is when I speak falsehood in my heart. For example, I get discouraged (remember those sources of addiction) and I say, ìThatís it, Iím out of this family. Iím out of this marriage. I didnít want to marry in the first place.î When you allow your soul to be permeated with false words, you make wrong decisions and condition your heart to accept deception.

Q5: What kinds of words are you speaking in your heart? How do you keep from conditioning your heart negatively?

ìWho may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehoodÖî (Ps. 24:3-4)

Out loud, we may never say things like: ìI hate that guy!î or ìHeís stupid!î or ìIím not going to do that,î but the truth is we speak it in our hearts. Scripture says to be careful to ìguard your heart,î making sure you speak truth in your heart.

Look how David actually speaks to his soul and exchanges false words that lay within for Godís words: ìWhy are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in god; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance oh my Godî (Ps. 42:5). David quieted his own soul and consciously chose truth for his heart. We can do the same thing; simply draw from the deep reservoir of Godís Word.

His Word is light and when we place that light next to a dark word, we see that itís much better. Then we need to actually exchange it for Godís Word. Not only will this protect your heart, it will also:

?        CHANGE YOUR DEFAULT SYSTEM!!!

Just like in a computer, we too have an inner ìdefault system.î Itís the way we see or perceive things. However, our system is trained by the world so we need to change our default so that our core principles line up with God.

The Bible says, ìDonít be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mindî (Rom. 12:2). Renew the way you see things so you might know the will of God, that which is good, acceptable and perfect. That way He can change us from ìglory to glory into His imageî (2 Cor. 3:18). Then one day people will look at you and say, ìThat person looks like Jesus!î

So walk confidently in the midst of slave-maker gods by controlling cravings and working through discouragement. Remember that some dreams may be broken because they are not from God, so donít chase after them. Next, be sure to choose friends wisely. Then make sure your level of contentment is defined Biblically. And, finally, speak truth in your heart. And when you do God will bring heaven through you to deliver so many caught in the web of slavery in this world thatís filled with slave-maker gods.

FinalQ: What most impacted you in this lesson & how will you apply it to your life today?

Many Mahalos & Blessings on Rhonda Pang for blessing her readers AND her sickly editor!