This morning I was at the hairdressers, waiting for a few minutes, and overheard a conversation that gave me food for thought. It wasn’t a new thought. However, this thought, in combination with a recent comment by a church leader, prompted this post.
The two ladies having the conversation were chatting about normal things; weight issues, overeating the desire to change habits. What struck me was the number of times the word, addiction, was used to describe a considered negative habit. The concept of addiction, which for some is desperate, others appalling, was now used in an almost flippant manner.
The church leader in question was questioning the use of the word, addiction in the work of Free! I understood completely, as it can be very confusing.
In some ways it is something we have to live with, and be careful to define what we mean with the words we use.
In the work of Free! we have met people with devastating stories with very damaging consequences. To cope with life, their own feelings, these people have become “hooked” or “dependant upon” behaviours and substances to make it through the day.
However, the majority of people , who walked through our doors were seemingly normal people with normal professions, who also defined their behaviours as addictive. They were struggling with habits from which they couldn’t seem to break free. Oh and many of them said they were Christians, regularly going to church.
In our experience it didn’t, and still doesn’t, really matter how the word is defined. In Christian, biblical terms, whether someone has had a devastating trauma or history or not, whether someone has chosen to cope with radical or less radical means, whether there are physical consequences or not, the root cause is fallen, sinful man, who at some point walked away from God to do his own thing, in his own way.
This is why our groups can be filled with people from all walks of life, and all kinds of habits; no judgement. Anything that could be defined as a life-controlling, negative, detrimental habit was/is represented. So this is our definition of addictive issues; a negative, life-controlling habit that has become damaging and has become a major focus, if not the major focus in life. Another way of putting this is idol worship; a very biblical term. We also cannot escape the terminology of sin, which is something we all struggle with. As my husband is fond of saying, “sin is addictive”.
Patrick McCormick, in his book, Sin as Addiction (1989), writes the following;
Sin is alienation form God. Sinners have separated themselves from God and in this detachment entered into a state of chaotic hostility towards self, neighbour and the world.
Sin is a spiral. There is an escalation from small choices that leads to more disastrous choices. Sin is a progression into the dark.
Sin is a habitual turning away from relationship with God and into a world of a person’s own making. This is in essence a turning away from God’s love and call.
It was/is wonderful and amazing being in the groups and experiencing the conversations. These groups do not provide a complete recovery process but they do deal with the major spiritual issues that accompany this process and help give people a space to tell their story. Especially the Christian, who wants to explore their journey biblically.
Many folks also have had, or are having mental health help, or also attend AA groups. What Free! offers is a deep discipleship journey, that anyone can benefit from. We name our “higher power” unashamedly Jesus Christ and the Bible is our source of material.
Further Study: Ephesians 4: 17-32
Only people, who know the Word and walk in the Spirit can really come alongside others and help them throw off old ways of doing things and encourage others to put on new ways, ways of God; a new nature.
Addictus, the slave that was set free but still walked around in chains is not so very different from some of us, we have the new life of Christ but we are still walking around as if we don’t.
The local church still has a very significant role in the lives of those struggling with life-controlling sinful habits. Only the church, powered by the personhood of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, can speak new, life-changing biblical truth into old habits and lives, in whatever way addiction/life-controlling issues or negative sinful habits are expressed.
Practicalities, medical help, financial help, community are all vital components.
Pray, Speak Truth, Host groups, Signpost
Sally Childress
Co-Founder of Free! Recovery