Compassion

Addictions to substances are true sicknesses and demonic strongholds. I mean...think about it, do you really think some one wants to be strung out, needing that next high or stuck on something that could potentially be killing them or destroying the lives of loved ones??  Do you think they want to loose their family, not be able to pay bills or hurt the ones that they love?  I would have to say that next to no one would choose to be addicted to anything or choose to live such a lifestyle.

Instead of people seeing it as sicknesses or stronghold we sometimes look at it as if they are choosing to live this type of life and often times judge them accordingly.  Of course I know that everything we do is a choice, and it's our choice. However, we all make mistakes based off of our choices that can be the beginning of a slippery slope to an addiction that we have no clue how to get freed from.

I'm not going to pretend like I have some magic fix for those addicted to anything, but I do know that we as Christians are called to be compassionate to all of God's people.  Their sin is no different than ours, we just might be better at hiding ours.  Their sin makes us turn up our noses because we couldn't think of doing such a thing, but I bet if that person found their way into our closet there would be something in there that they wouldn't dream of doing either.  We are all different, but all the same.  We certainly know the pain of being judged, ridiculed and casted out...so why is it so hard to see when we place that same torture on someone else?

Throughout my life I have seen first hand substance addictions of very close loved ones and it's a horrible thing to watch someone go through, not to mention to go through it with them. I found myself angry, resentful and even close to being bitter.  At times I've even felt helpless because I could not, myself, will them out of this pit of despair.   To see them loosing their focus on what is really important or to see them acting in ways that they normally wouldn't act. To see them slowly killing themselves from the inside out is sometimes more than I can bear!  It strains relationships, hurts family members, destroys lives and slowly stripes that person of all God truly created them to be. Yet, sometimes we still judge them.  Why don't they just stop?  Why can't they see how bad this is hurting them and me?  At the very least, why won't they just get some help? 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NLT) ³ We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. ⁴ We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. ⁵ We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

My point to all of this is that we must remember to remain compassionate, loving and always in prayer for these family members, friends, etc.  Don't pass judgment, instead love and pray for them without ceasing and with a sincere heart. I realize that because of circumstances that sometimes surround the addictions; such as how it may be affecting you and your family, this may still be a very difficult thing to deal with.  It may be causing hard times for your family and you hurt to see any children who may be affected by the addiction hurting too.  

I also realize that sometimes situations become dangerous and even harmful so it may mean that some distance needs to be put between you and the person addicted, but we somehow have to remember that they are hurting too. This may require us to pray and ask God to heal our heart of the pain and anger that has been caused as a result.  It will also be helpful for us to pray to God to create in us a heart of compassion for this person/s; to know that they are not the addiction they are experiencing right now.  God created them to be so much more and we must lift them up to the Lord, the only one who can truly restore them. 

1 Peter 3:8 (NLT) ⁸ Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.