Contributor:
Chad Roberts
I am not writing so much to those who want their addiction and love their addiction. I’m writing to those who hate it and want to break free from it. As we know, addictions come in many forms. Food, drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling and even Facebook. The point is, God has not designed us to live our lives addicted to ANYTHING. Addictions will always bring harm and will always cause us to suffer painful consequences.
Transformation vs Recovery
I understand recovery. Most people don’t get their lives into a mess overnight and most won’t get out of it overnight. However, the aim of this article is to show that recovery is not enough. Recovery does not produce life change. What is needed is transformation. Galatians 5:1 has the power to change your life and change your perspective going forward. Read it carefully, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” This one verse from the Bible can put you on the path to transformation.
Stand Firm in Freedom
Addiction is nothing to play with. When you have the attitude, “I can control this. I’m fine.” You need to understand that you’re playing with fire and you are being very displeasing to the Lord. Notice what the first of Gal. 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set you free.” It is not so that you can bounce back and forth with sin. It is not that you can play with addiction and trying to “control” things. Is is dangerous, unhealthy and deeply unspiritual. You need to settle in your heart that it is for freedom (once and for all) that Christ has set you free.
Then Paul commands us, “Stand firm.” This is the road to transformation. Stand firm in what God has produced in your life. So first, there is God’s responsibility…His work of grace and work of salvation has the power to set you free. But now there is your responsibility…to stand firm! But how does a believer stand firm when they are sliding back into the grip of addiction?
I would encourage that person to arm themselves with many weapons…arm yourself with accountability. Have people you can call on to pray with you and keep you accountable. Have people in your life who will ask you hard questions and get into your personal business. Arm yourself with Scripture. God’s Word transforms those who read it, memorize it and apply it to their lives. How many Scriptures do you know by heart? If there are not several, then that might explain the lack of life change. Lastly, arm yourself with the right environment. What causes you to drink? What causes you to do drugs? What causes you to fall into areas of temptation? Get out of those environments. Don’t allow it in your house, get away from the people who encourage it. When you do what you’ve always done…you’ll get what you’ve always got. Stand firm and change your environment.
Don’t Submit to Addiction Again
Lastly, Paul says, “Therefore, don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Here is where transformation trumps recovery…#1. Christ has already set you free. #2. It’s your responsibility to stand in that freedom #3. Don’t submit to it again. Think of the power of that phrase…”Don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
The next time you go to get a drink, think to yourself, “I won’t submit to that.” The next time you face a temptation that can derail your progress, say, “I won’t submit to this again.” Do you know how trainers keep elephants in place at a circus? It is quite interesting. When an elephant is a baby, they tie it to something the elephant cannot move, perhaps a tree trunk or a car. As the elephant grows, they will continue to tie it something small without worrying the elephant will move. Why? Because the elephant has grown up thinking it cannot move whatever it is tied to.
In reality, that elephant could move anything it wanted and go anywhere it wanted. In a similar way, you “THINK” you cannot break free from addiction only because you have been tied to it for so long. In reality, Christ has set you free! The truth of the matter is that Christ’s power is already at work in you and is already available to you. What is missing? It may be you standing firm…perhaps that is what is lacking? It may be you submitting to a yoke of slavery and that is why the power of the gospel is not having its full effect in your life?
Slaves No More
Galatians 5:1 came to life to me when I had the opportunity to visit the Island of Zanzibar in 2009. Zanzibar is located in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of Africa. Zanzibar was the hub for the slave trade industry back in the 1800’s. My host took me to the actual slave pits where Arabs and Europeans purchased slaves. In this deep, concrete pit was a stone replica of an African family. A father, a mother and children. Around their necks, hands and feet were the actual iron chains that held them captive. I can remember physically getting sick to my stomach when I saw this.
In those moments, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart saying, what if that was your family in a slave pit? What if someone purchased your freedom and in purchasing your freedom, said to you, “GO, you’re free”? And what if in the middle of the night, you sneaked back down into that pit and shackled the chains once again around your hands, feet and neck?
Starring at that slave pit, I couldn’t ever imagine doing that. I said to the Lord, “NO! If someone set me free, I would run as fast as I could and as far away as I could from this pit.” That is when the Holy Spirit said, “Then why don’t you run as fast and as far away from sin as you can? I have set you free. When you willfully sin, it is as though you sneak back into a slave pit and re-shackle the chains of sin around your hands, feet and neck.”
That was a life changing moment for me. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Are you standing firm in that freedom, or are you sneaking back into the slave pit undoing the beautiful, sacrificial and life changing work Christ has done in you?
You must be logged in to post a comment.