Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies~ Jonah 2:8 NLT

 In case you haven’t noticed:

Addiction is a growing problem in our society. 

In addition to all the standard addictions (drugs, alcohol) strange new addictions are cropping up all the time. Now we have gambling, pornography, food, phone, video game, shopping and sex addictions. These problems are affecting millions of people from every walk of life. Sadly, the vast majority of individuals are not overcoming in their personal battle with addiction.

 Sigh.

 If addiction were an issue only non-Christians struggled with then there would be little point in addressing the problem.  What those outside the church do and don’t do should not be a concern for those inside the Church (1st Corinthians 5:11). It is not our job as Christians to modify the behavior of those who do not profess faith in Christ. Christians are commanded to pray for non-Christians and share the gospel with them. Period. Forcing a non-believer to act like a believer before they become a believer causes more spiritual harm than good. Forcing a non-Christian to act like a Christian simply produces a well-behaved heathen with a false sense of security.     

 But that is another topic for another day.     

 Christians struggle with the same addictions as non-Christians. Addiction in churches affects everyone in the church. Christians are all individual parts of a body (1st Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:4-5, Romans 12:4-5). Anytime one part of a body is sick or hurting the consequences are felt throughout the rest of the body.

Sigh.

 Christian addiction has all sorts of consequences. Addiction in the church has cost the church both its credibility and voice in the culture. When church people struggle with the same stupid stuff everyone else struggles with Christians cannot legitimately advise others on the saving power of Jesus (or anything else).

It’s just doesn’t work that way. 

 Furthermore, anytime one member of the body of Christ struggles with sin the whole body becomes corporately weaker. Spiritual weakness in the body makes everyone less able to fulfill their calling as salt and light in the culture (Matthew 5:13-16, Luke 14:33-35). Christians who are addicts lead Christians and non-Christians alike to believe that Christ has no real power to change our nature or help us deal with our junk (2nd Kings 17:15). This naturally leads to fewer conversions and fewer church kids sticking around. I am convinced that the mass exodus of Christian kids leaving the church in recent years has more to do with the lack of power they have seen in the lives of their parents and other adults to overcome problems, including addiction than any other single issue.

 If we want to see social change and spiritual revival in the Western world (and most of us do) then addiction is an issue that must be addressed in our churches. We will never lead the unbelieving world to spiritual freedom until we experience it in our own lives. Dealing with addiction in the church does not begin with starting  support groups or accountability programs. It begins with recognizing the true nature of addiction.

  Contrary to popular belief, addiction is not simply a bad habit, a sign of poor coping skills or a genetic predisposition gone awry. Addiction does have physical, emotional and genetic factors but ultimately addiction is a deeply spiritual issue. The addicted person gets something real and tangible from the addiction (usually a sense of peace or ability to cope). In exchange the addict becomes physically and/or emotionally dependent on that thing. They eventually grow to love that thing more than they love God or anything else.

 I am not, nor have I ever been a “there’s a demon behind every beer bottle” kind of a Christian. However, I do believe we need to acknowledge the reality that there is a deeply demonic aspect to the issue of addiction. At the root of all addiction is the sin of idolatry. Addicts receive a sense of comfort, wellbeing, peace or an ability to cope with stress, etc. that they should only receive from God. The addict must figure out exactly what their addiction gives them and why they aren’t going to God to get their needs met.   

 With a few notable exceptions most of what the church has done to combat addiction has not worked all that well.  This is because the church has adopted the world’s view that addiction can be overcome with an improved self-image, more accountability and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes and accountability are good, helpful and necessary. However, unless the addict acknowledges and repents of the underlying sin of idolatry they are powerless to permanently change much of anything.  

 Freedom from addiction can only be achieved through right thinking about the problem (sinful behaviors are always a choice). Freedom comes with a vibrant relationship with Jesus and the choice to live in complete obedience to God and His commands. Finally, every person who struggles or has struggled with addiction in the church needs the love, acceptance and grace of a healthy Church family.