Once after offering my testimony to a church group I was confronted by a lady who had attended in the parking lot. I knew I was in for trouble because she looked blazing mad and I could tell she was ready to unload on me. She yelled at me to get my attention and then stomped across the parking lot and when she got in front of me, she launched into a tirade. I soon discovered the reason for her ire towards me was that Honey Lake Resort served alcohol.
I calmly said that people at weddings like to celebrate with wine and champagne and in fact I recall someone by the name of Jesus who performed His first miracle by changing water into wine at a wedding at the behest of His mother in order that they would not run out.
Frustrated at my comments she yelled, “You of all people should know better. Why, why you’re an alcoholic”. I was beginning to tire of this and I looked at her. She was about five feet tall and just about as wide as she was tall. I slowly looked her up and down and asked if gluttony was a sin. She turned red and agreed that it was. I asked if we should ban food from weddings too just because a few “butterballs” among us might gorge a little too long at the shrimp and pastry bars.
Oh boy!
Addiction is not limited to drugs and alcohol lest anyone should boast. Alcohol addiction is a serious problem but so are pornography, gluttony, and sex addiction to name a few. This Sunday we have a speaker who was addicted to gambling.
I used to be really good at shooting pool. Not long after we got married I supplemented my meager income with shooting pool and would routinely win a couple of hundred dollars a night. One night I won all the money that a guy had with him. He left and came back with another wad of money and I won it. My wife and I were getting ready to leave and he came up and wanted to shoot me a game for his shoes. I laughed and told him I didn’t want his shoes. He exclaimed, “These are Gucci shoes”. I looked at him and asked what size he wore and it was my size. I shot him for his shoes and won. He was preparing to take them off and I laughed and told him just to keep them.
I will never forget the desperate look in his eyes. He did not want to stop gambling even though he didn’t have the slightest chance of winning. I’ve seen that same look in the eyes of all of the “suckers” that pour into Las Vegas and other casino towns. I mean where do they think all of those multi-million dollar buildings come from if not from all of those quarters going into those slot machines.
This coming Sunday at 11:00 we will have a guest speaker that will offer his testimony about being addicted to gambling and how it very nearly ruined his life. As for me I was addicted to drugs and alcohol, but never gave a whit about gambling and/or gorging on food. But I do love to hear how people overcame their addictions. Our speaker Don Reed is rather famous and in fact they are doing a movie of his life. He now owns a big CPA firm, a successful Christian radio station and has a Christian television show.
I’ve only talked to him on the phone but I can tell you that he loves the Lord with all of his heart as evidenced in part by his wanting to pray every time we get on the phone. Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles one has overcome trying to succeed.” I’m sure that Mr. Reed has found that old Booker T. was dead on the mark.
If you are struggling with addiction, turn to the Lord. He loves you and can help free you from this sin of idolatry that enslaves you. He offers a way out of every temptation and you need to look for it and take it.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
January 21, 2015 – Click here to listen