Growing up with a mom who was, and still is an alcoholic/addict, gives me some insight into addiction and it’s affects on the addict and those who love them. Being an addict for about 12 years of my life gives me even more insight. It’s something that is important to me. The horrible affects of it, is what brought me to a victorious life in Jesus. I wish I could say the same for my mom, but not yet.
Anyone can become an addict. Think about it. In all of your families, each one of you has at least one person who has become locked down by this curse. The cousin that over-eats to the point of needing assistance walking; who looks for comfort in food. The friend who shops and shops that has no money to do so; who sits underneath a mound of “things” and credit card bills. The brother who secretly watches X-rated movies behind closed doors; who slumps in his chair under shame. Everytime he closes his eyes, the images are etched into his mind. How does a person get away from such powerful things? Things that shape us and turn us into someone else. Not the “me” I once knew.
Anyone can become an addict.
I said I have some insight, but by no means am I close to being an expert. But I have some questions for us to ask ourselves. Why am I free and not my neighbor? Why does it take some a couple of years to get out from underneath and others a lifetime, like my mother?
Have you heard of the friend, (or maybe this was you once) that quit smoking for 5 or 10 years and then just picked it up again? We all think to ourselves, “I can’t understand that.”
Those I write about are the ones who can’t love themselves. How can they love themselves and harm themselves at the same time? Many think that the addicted are lovers of themselves because they are only thinking of their desires. But maybe it’s because they simply don’t the know how to love themselves, that they harm themselves and those who do love them. The unloved, the lost and the lonely…they need our love. And more importantly they need to hear about God’s love.
As I was writing this, I responded to a like on my blog. So I went to that blog Heavensreef and ran smack dab into this article. Tap here. to read about God’s will for the unloved, the ones who can’t but want to, love themselves.
A New Life 