I was contacted by three different moms about their sons and daughters this week. All of these kids are seriously addicted to drugs and their moms are worried sick about them and are frantic that bad things are going to happen unless they receive help and soon. I was also contacted by one addict herself who asked me to call her very soon!
Unfortunately it is appropriate for them to be worried, because without help the outlook is bleak for these young people; most will end up in prison, some will overdose and die, a few will commit suicide, and all will damage their health.
Theirs is a terrible existence. They must steal, sell their bodies, live in filth and squalor, lose the respect of their families and friends, and develop such low self-esteem that they no longer want to live.
It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way!
Drug addiction begins like many of satan’s traps. It generally starts out being fun with seemingly innocent drugs that just make one euphoric such as alcohol and then marijuana. It seems innocent enough to get a little buzz going; so when someone comes along with some cocaine or similar drug they give it a try too.
BAM! Now that’s what I’m talking about!
The feeling one derives from the next stage of drugs make one feel better than anything they’ve ever experienced to the billionth power. Now they want that feeling again, and again, and again, but they discover that it takes more, and more, and more, to get less, and less, and less of that high that they love so much.
They take more powerful drugs such as smoking crack and then there is the needle. Ah the needle; now that is the ultimate experience I tell you. It is insidious death disguised as the answer to the pain from this world that they are trying to escape, but the real pain has just begun once that first needle pierces their arm and enters into that vein and delivers its warm delight (and I’m not talking about the pain from the skin prick).
Very soon they realize that they’re an addict and those wonderful highs are no more. At this point it’s way too late to just stop taking it, and satan has them right where he wants them. Now they lead an obsessive, drug crazed, dangerous, lonely life devoted to robbing and stealing, selling and/or trading their bodies, and ripping off their family and friends just to try to obtain money to buy enough drugs to reach a semblance of normalcy and stop the shaking and puking.
Their appearance begins to change and they look like a skeleton, they become unhealthy, their teeth fall out, they develop sores all over their face and bodies, and they are in a continual state of paranoia. They are constantly afraid the police will pick them up, or they will get some bad drugs that will make them sick and die, or someone will shoot them or beat them within an inch of their lives in order to rip off their stash or get even. It is at this point that they no longer fear death and in fact welcome it. They are now dangerous to themselves and others.
It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way!
They should have been doctors and lawyers and such.
So what do I tell all these moms? I tell them that they must get their child into a faith based rehab center and quickly or they will die or go to prison. I say faith based because they have the highest percentages of success; some as much as 90%. Unfortunately the secular ones are more like 15%. When they get out they need to join Celebrate Recovery and faithfully attend and get into churches that don’t shun them, but welcome them with open arms.
As with all of the ills of a world gone mad, Jesus is the only answer. These kids must turn to him and He will heal them and remove their despair. The problem is that most have to come to the very brink of dying or some similar crisis whereby they are broken before they will agree to go to rehab. When you reach rock bottom you have nowhere else to look but up. It’s a dangerous time because they might die before they reach bottom.
I know that prayer works and I strongly advise families not to give up on these kids and to keep praying for them. God loves them and can and will save them. Keep praying and have faith. Getting mad at the kid is a waste of time. They know far better than you that they made serious mistakes and they have a far worse regard for themselves than the most angry parent. They didn’t desire this lifestyle and are sad and regret letting everyone down whether they tell you or not. They are slaves to drugs and satan and they don’t know how to escape.
It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way!
They fell into a trap just like folks fall into the trap of having an affair, gambling, pornography, eating until they are morbidly obese, worshipping their money and their job, pride or whatever. It is when we fall away from our relationship with God that satan comes lurking. Christ can set anyone free but in order to remain that way we must stay strong by putting on the full armor of God.
Finally if you have young kids, don’t let them hang out with punks and thugs. They will corrupt them and never believe that it can’t happen to them and you.
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church, (or somewhere), this Sunday. We have the talented musician Phil Keaggy and former Beatles manager for the U.S. Ken Mansfield together on stage at church this Sunday and you are sure to be mightily blessed.
After the service we have our Mother’s Day feast across the street from the church. BE SURE AND MAKE RESERVATIONS; over 600 folks had signed up through yesterday. Church begins at 11:00 I advise getting there early as seating is limited. I’ll be teaching Sunday school at 9:30 across the street.
1 Corinthians 15:33
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Galatians 5:1
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
May 9, 2014 – Click here to listen