THE HEART OF ADDICTION
CHAPTER 6
The Good Purpose of Drugs and Alcohol
Have you ever asked: “Lord God, Creator of the Universe, why did you create a substance to feel as good as this?” Why would God create something as destructive as alcohol and drugs for people He loves? Could He not see this problem coming, especially for people who have an “addictive personality” (as the secular world calls it) toward mood-altering substances? Is there any good purpose for alcohol and drugs? Scripture gives us some evidence that God intended a good purpose for alcohol and drugs. A Medicinal Purpose: Pain Relief In I Timothy 5:23, the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy regarding the therapeutic and medicinal use for “wine” in the following way: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” It is possible that Timothy took a strong vow not to touch wine for any reason similar to the vows that a Nazirite took in the Old Testament.59 Because Christians are to avoid even the appearance of evil,60 Timothy probably abstained from any type of wine; even the wine that was commonly used in that culture to purify drinking water.61 For this reason, Paul commands Timothy to “use a little wine” for medicinal purposes. The “little wine” would also act as a purifier for Timothy’s drinking water. This command by Paul is in no way a contradiction to the qualification of a bishop that Paul gave to Timothy just a few chapters earlier in I Timothy 3:3 that a bishop must “not” be “a drunkard.” A drunkard is someone who drinks wine to excess, which is different than what Paul tells Timothy in I Timothy 5:23 to drink “a little wine” in moderation for the purpose of treating his infirmities. There is both moderation and purpose for Timothy’s use of “wine,” or medicine. Medicating physical pain is an acceptable purpose of drugs according to the Bible. In Proverbs 31:6-7: “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” In this proverb, God states the good purpose of alcohol; namely, that it is to be utilized for someone who is “perishing.” In the original Hebrew language, the word “perishing” was used for someone who was being “destroyed, annihilated, or obliterated.” In other words, there was no hope of survival. In a situation where someone has little to no hope of survival due to a terminal illness, God gave people drugs and alcohol as an acceptable means for dealing with legitimate physical pain. However, Christians have used drugs and alcohol to deal with emotional pain – as a pleasurable means to escape and avoid this fallen world. When that happens, often the Christian becomes irresponsible in many ways and begins to fail God and others by sinning. The problem for the Christian addict is that the use of “wine,” or any drug, for medicinal purposes can get out of control in a hurry. Great caution must be exercised whenever a Christian addict uses a prescription medication for pain relief. One Christian Man’s Experience A Christian addict who was continuing to transform from his addictive lifestyle had eight years of sobriety. He was to have a minor, out-patient surgery utilizing Valium, to produce a calmative effect before and during surgery. He stated that he had to be extremely careful during the three months following the procedure because the Valium® had reminded his body and mind experientially how he used to feel when drunk. His thought life during that time period after the surgery was filled with many more temptations as he shopped at the grocery store and went near the wine and beer aisle. He had never imagined the challenges in his own flesh and the thoughts that he would have to take captive62 after that simple procedure. Is this to say that you should never have surgery if you are an addict? No, certainly the answer is not to deny ever having a surgical procedure if your doctor deems it necessary. The solution is to be careful to explore alternatives for pain relief and to be upfront with the doctor about why you would like to avoid the narcotic pain medication. Be authentic with the doctor by telling him that you do not want to get addicted to any substance and that you would prefer a non-opioid pain reliever. Do not lie, but it is not always necessary to tell the doctor that you have been an “addict” because it is a harmful label to some doctors. However, you should be very open and honest with your doctor about your goal to insulate yourself from the temptation of becoming addicted. It is true that non-narcotic (or non-opioid) medications do not “work” as well as narcotic medications but that is a sacrifice you may have to make. Remember that the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross on your behalf is greater than any pain you will ever experience in your life. The issue of being responsible regarding your propensity for addiction does not always produce an easy way out so you need to think the issue through prior to taking any medication whatsoever. This decision should be accompanied by much prayer, personal Bible study, and advice from trusted Christian friends. Another Christian’s Radical Approach Another approach taken by a Christian addict to avoid temptation was the refusal to take any pill, even an aspirin, for the first three years of her “transformation” following her active addiction. Because she was concerned that taking a couple of aspirin every now and then could lead to the return of her habit of “popping pills,” she would abstain from taking any medication in pill form. Her view was that she needed to find out the root physical cause of her headache rather than trying to medicate every ache or pain. What she discovered is that her headaches were due to allowing herself to become too “stressed out” at work, skipping a meal, handling a conflict incorrectly, or not drinking enough water. The emotional stress impacted her physical health in the form of a headache. Rather than take a pill for the headache, she would deal with one of these root causes and the headache would subside every time. Eventually, she did begin to be more moderate in her approach, as she would allow her husband to help regulate her taking of nonnarcotic pain medications appropriately when needed for legitimate pain. Until she had learned moderation, however, she abstained from the habit-forming behavior and the “quick fix” mentality of relieving the symptoms without dealing with her heart. Later, she recognized that “feeling stressed out” was really a problem of worrying and not trusting in God. Yes, worrying is a sin.63 Radical Obedience Is this radical? Yes, it is radical and sometimes necessary. Does God call us to radical obedience? Yes, Jesus Himself lived radical obedience by giving His life to die upon the cross. He also taught a principle called “radical amputation” regarding adultery that can be applied to drug addiction.64 In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Does Jesus want you to literally pluck out your eye and cut off your hand every time you sin? No, He is not teaching you to do so literally. But the point is that you must be serious about sin; what thoughts, words, and behaviors lead to sin, and how you deal with the many temptations to sin. You need to think radically about what people, places, and things you need to eliminate from your life so that you are not tempted to sin or give place to the Devil. This is “radical amputation” and is referred to as “putting off” in Ephesians 4:22. Use Appendix C to make a list of those persons, places, items, and other temptations you must “put off” immediately because they entice you to sin. Once you finish the list, make a diligent effort to eliminate them or remove yourself from everything and everyone on that list. Radically amputate them from your life. What about My Friends? •Can people remind you of sin and lead you to sin? Yes, certain people you formerly considered to be your friends were truly “using buddies” who cared nothing for you except that they could use and have a good time with you. •Can places tempt you to sin? Yes, certain places you frequented can certainly bring back old patterns of thinking leading to “romancing” the drug and the drug-induced lifestyle, leading to utter ruin. •Can certain things lead you to be more tempted to use? Yes, certainly something like an old cooler that was always filled with beer can be something that you associate with drinking and easily lead you astray. •Can certain songs you hear lead you to further temptation to sin? Yes, certain songs you listened to while using alcohol or drugs may bring back that “romancing” mentality leading you to strongly desire a “pick me up” drink or drug. Yes, there is a lot to amputate, or put off, from your former life. Many drugs can actually cause a physiological reaction in your body when certain people, places, things, and songs are experienced. For example, a crack cocaine addict reported to me that she smoked crack in a certain, brand-named empty soft drink can. After she had sobered up for six months, she went to work one day and saw that same brand-named drink can sitting on a window ledge outside of her building. When she saw this specific soft drink can and how it looked sitting on that ledge, she was immediately reminded of how she used to smoke crack with her “friends.” Next, physiologically, she began to taste the drug in the back of her throat. She could even smell the drug as though she were using it again. Her mind remembered, and her body manifested these real physiological symptoms. Thankfully, she went inside and called a Christian girlfriend who met her for lunch later that day and stayed with her that night until she went to sleep. People, places, things, and songs can produce the same type of physiological reaction of craving in the early stages of the transformation process. Start Now Although God has a medicinal purpose for drugs, you must examine your thoughts and heart carefully regarding anything and everything with which you associated drugs and alcohol in your past so that it does not adversely affect your transformation. Then after you have completed your “put off” list, God wants you to develop a “put on” list of new persons, places, hobbies, and other things with which you can associate because it pleases God first. Take a sheet of paper and write down both lists right now. Use Appendix C to help you. Start contacting those persons on the “put on” list to build your support system. Make a diligent effort to immediately “put on” the items on your list. Today is the day of salvation!65 You are being saved from the practice of this sin. Do not wait any longer to begin doing the right things because God has a plan and purpose for your life.
Prayer of Heart Change and Application:
Dear Heavenly Father, I want to start only utilizing drugs for your intended purpose of pain relief rather than escaping from my emotional pain. When I have physical pain, provide me with physical pain relief and with loved ones who can help me to deny fulfilling my temporary cravings, appetites, and emotional desires to escape. Help me find a support system of godly and loving people to put on. Protect me from myself, Lord, and help me replace any of my ungodly desires with your good desires. Amen.
Have you ever asked: “Lord God, Creator of the Universe, why did you create a substance to feel as good as this?” Why would God create something as destructive as alcohol and drugs for people He loves? Could He not see this problem coming, especially for people who have an “addictive personality” (as the secular world calls it) toward mood-altering substances? Is there any good purpose for alcohol and drugs? Scripture gives us some evidence that God intended a good purpose for alcohol and drugs. A Medicinal Purpose: Pain Relief In I Timothy 5:23, the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy regarding the therapeutic and medicinal use for “wine” in the following way: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” It is possible that Timothy took a strong vow not to touch wine for any reason similar to the vows that a Nazirite took in the Old Testament.59 Because Christians are to avoid even the appearance of evil,60 Timothy probably abstained from any type of wine; even the wine that was commonly used in that culture to purify drinking water.61 For this reason, Paul commands Timothy to “use a little wine” for medicinal purposes. The “little wine” would also act as a purifier for Timothy’s drinking water. This command by Paul is in no way a contradiction to the qualification of a bishop that Paul gave to Timothy just a few chapters earlier in I Timothy 3:3 that a bishop must “not” be “a drunkard.” A drunkard is someone who drinks wine to excess, which is different than what Paul tells Timothy in I Timothy 5:23 to drink “a little wine” in moderation for the purpose of treating his infirmities. There is both moderation and purpose for Timothy’s use of “wine,” or medicine. Medicating physical pain is an acceptable purpose of drugs according to the Bible. In Proverbs 31:6-7: “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” In this proverb, God states the good purpose of alcohol; namely, that it is to be utilized for someone who is “perishing.” In the original Hebrew language, the word “perishing” was used for someone who was being “destroyed, annihilated, or obliterated.” In other words, there was no hope of survival. In a situation where someone has little to no hope of survival due to a terminal illness, God gave people drugs and alcohol as an acceptable means for dealing with legitimate physical pain. However, Christians have used drugs and alcohol to deal with emotional pain – as a pleasurable means to escape and avoid this fallen world. When that happens, often the Christian becomes irresponsible in many ways and begins to fail God and others by sinning. The problem for the Christian addict is that the use of “wine,” or any drug, for medicinal purposes can get out of control in a hurry. Great caution must be exercised whenever a Christian addict uses a prescription medication for pain relief. One Christian Man’s Experience A Christian addict who was continuing to transform from his addictive lifestyle had eight years of sobriety. He was to have a minor, out-patient surgery utilizing Valium, to produce a calmative effect before and during surgery. He stated that he had to be extremely careful during the three months following the procedure because the Valium® had reminded his body and mind experientially how he used to feel when drunk. His thought life during that time period after the surgery was filled with many more temptations as he shopped at the grocery store and went near the wine and beer aisle. He had never imagined the challenges in his own flesh and the thoughts that he would have to take captive62 after that simple procedure. Is this to say that you should never have surgery if you are an addict? No, certainly the answer is not to deny ever having a surgical procedure if your doctor deems it necessary. The solution is to be careful to explore alternatives for pain relief and to be upfront with the doctor about why you would like to avoid the narcotic pain medication. Be authentic with the doctor by telling him that you do not want to get addicted to any substance and that you would prefer a non-opioid pain reliever. Do not lie, but it is not always necessary to tell the doctor that you have been an “addict” because it is a harmful label to some doctors. However, you should be very open and honest with your doctor about your goal to insulate yourself from the temptation of becoming addicted. It is true that non-narcotic (or non-opioid) medications do not “work” as well as narcotic medications but that is a sacrifice you may have to make. Remember that the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross on your behalf is greater than any pain you will ever experience in your life. The issue of being responsible regarding your propensity for addiction does not always produce an easy way out so you need to think the issue through prior to taking any medication whatsoever. This decision should be accompanied by much prayer, personal Bible study, and advice from trusted Christian friends. Another Christian’s Radical Approach Another approach taken by a Christian addict to avoid temptation was the refusal to take any pill, even an aspirin, for the first three years of her “transformation” following her active addiction. Because she was concerned that taking a couple of aspirin every now and then could lead to the return of her habit of “popping pills,” she would abstain from taking any medication in pill form. Her view was that she needed to find out the root physical cause of her headache rather than trying to medicate every ache or pain. What she discovered is that her headaches were due to allowing herself to become too “stressed out” at work, skipping a meal, handling a conflict incorrectly, or not drinking enough water. The emotional stress impacted her physical health in the form of a headache. Rather than take a pill for the headache, she would deal with one of these root causes and the headache would subside every time. Eventually, she did begin to be more moderate in her approach, as she would allow her husband to help regulate her taking of nonnarcotic pain medications appropriately when needed for legitimate pain. Until she had learned moderation, however, she abstained from the habit-forming behavior and the “quick fix” mentality of relieving the symptoms without dealing with her heart. Later, she recognized that “feeling stressed out” was really a problem of worrying and not trusting in God. Yes, worrying is a sin.63 Radical Obedience Is this radical? Yes, it is radical and sometimes necessary. Does God call us to radical obedience? Yes, Jesus Himself lived radical obedience by giving His life to die upon the cross. He also taught a principle called “radical amputation” regarding adultery that can be applied to drug addiction.64 In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Does Jesus want you to literally pluck out your eye and cut off your hand every time you sin? No, He is not teaching you to do so literally. But the point is that you must be serious about sin; what thoughts, words, and behaviors lead to sin, and how you deal with the many temptations to sin. You need to think radically about what people, places, and things you need to eliminate from your life so that you are not tempted to sin or give place to the Devil. This is “radical amputation” and is referred to as “putting off” in Ephesians 4:22. Use Appendix C to make a list of those persons, places, items, and other temptations you must “put off” immediately because they entice you to sin. Once you finish the list, make a diligent effort to eliminate them or remove yourself from everything and everyone on that list. Radically amputate them from your life. What about My Friends? •Can people remind you of sin and lead you to sin? Yes, certain people you formerly considered to be your friends were truly “using buddies” who cared nothing for you except that they could use and have a good time with you. •Can places tempt you to sin? Yes, certain places you frequented can certainly bring back old patterns of thinking leading to “romancing” the drug and the drug-induced lifestyle, leading to utter ruin. •Can certain things lead you to be more tempted to use? Yes, certainly something like an old cooler that was always filled with beer can be something that you associate with drinking and easily lead you astray. •Can certain songs you hear lead you to further temptation to sin? Yes, certain songs you listened to while using alcohol or drugs may bring back that “romancing” mentality leading you to strongly desire a “pick me up” drink or drug. Yes, there is a lot to amputate, or put off, from your former life. Many drugs can actually cause a physiological reaction in your body when certain people, places, things, and songs are experienced. For example, a crack cocaine addict reported to me that she smoked crack in a certain, brand-named empty soft drink can. After she had sobered up for six months, she went to work one day and saw that same brand-named drink can sitting on a window ledge outside of her building. When she saw this specific soft drink can and how it looked sitting on that ledge, she was immediately reminded of how she used to smoke crack with her “friends.” Next, physiologically, she began to taste the drug in the back of her throat. She could even smell the drug as though she were using it again. Her mind remembered, and her body manifested these real physiological symptoms. Thankfully, she went inside and called a Christian girlfriend who met her for lunch later that day and stayed with her that night until she went to sleep. People, places, things, and songs can produce the same type of physiological reaction of craving in the early stages of the transformation process. Start Now Although God has a medicinal purpose for drugs, you must examine your thoughts and heart carefully regarding anything and everything with which you associated drugs and alcohol in your past so that it does not adversely affect your transformation. Then after you have completed your “put off” list, God wants you to develop a “put on” list of new persons, places, hobbies, and other things with which you can associate because it pleases God first. Take a sheet of paper and write down both lists right now. Use Appendix C to help you. Start contacting those persons on the “put on” list to build your support system. Make a diligent effort to immediately “put on” the items on your list. Today is the day of salvation!65 You are being saved from the practice of this sin. Do not wait any longer to begin doing the right things because God has a plan and purpose for your life.
Prayer of Heart Change and Application:
Dear Heavenly Father, I want to start only utilizing drugs for your intended purpose of pain relief rather than escaping from my emotional pain. When I have physical pain, provide me with physical pain relief and with loved ones who can help me to deny fulfilling my temporary cravings, appetites, and emotional desires to escape. Help me find a support system of godly and loving people to put on. Protect me from myself, Lord, and help me replace any of my ungodly desires with your good desires. Amen.