There are many Christians hooked on prescription drugs. Some are hooked on pain medication, some are hooked on anti-depressants and alcohol. I know there are Christians who legitimately need pain medication and anti-depressants but there are some who don’t need them or need as much they are using. Some are drunkards and alcoholics who need to face the fact that their habits are sinful.
Sometime ago, a church member had been absent from church for a few months. When she returned, I said, I’m glad to see you are back, what happened. She said, “I started using that ole crack again.” I offered to start meeting with her for one on one bible study on a weekly basis. During one of our meetings she told me about a dream she had the night before our meeting. In the dream she saw an evil spirit cowering in a corner. He was actually trembling with fear as he looked at her. While looking at her, another evil spirit appeared, he was much larger and more sinister than the other spirit. With heated anger and rage, the larger spirit yelled, why did you let her go? Why did you let her go? They began to talk to each other and she awakened from her dream.
The larger spirit was angry because she had been delivered from drugs and was living a drug free life for the first time in years. This was an exciting time in her life, deliverance from drugs was just the beginning of the wonderful things God would do for her. He blessed her with a wonderful husband and a lovely home within a short period of time. They both attended church and all was well. That is, until she became offended about a comment someone made at church. After the offense she and her husband stopped attending church. She refused to talk to anyone from church, including her own family members. I tried to counsel her but she refused any advice I gave her. Within six months or less after the offense, she filed for divorce, she was back on drugs and in jail. After getting out of jail she refused to get help. She decided to live on the streets and now has throat cancer. The evil spirits conspired to get her back and they succeeded.
One of the biggest dangers of drug addiction is the subjugation and bondage that leads to a wasted life. In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus banishes the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, because he took his talent and hid it in the ground. Drug users and alcoholics are unprofitable servants because they yield their members to the devil resulting in the burial of their God given gifts and talents. My friend yielded to temptation and suffered greatly. The key word is yielded Romans 6:16 says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:13 says, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
Although we may be tempted to sin, yielding to the temptation is our decision. We have the option to sin or call on the name of the Lord for help, asking him to deliver us from temptation. Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." If we call on him He will answer us, He will save us, He will deliver us, He will provide a way of escape or strengthen us to successfully stand against temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it". Yes, God has made a way of escape for us, let’s take it!
There is another type of drug user. They support their habit by bumming a few dollars here and there from relatives or they may have a small source of income, like doing odd jobs or getting SSI . They get high daily, they are not motivated to do anything but get high. They live in their parent’s basement or off their girlfriend. They spend their entire lives without accomplishing or doing anything but smoking marijuana. They have children but they don’t take care of them emotionally, physically, or financially. Jesus says of them “you wicked and slothful, servant.” They will be seen as unprofitable servants. Will He say to them, “I gave you talents but you hid them in the ground, they were buried in your earthen vessel, you never used them because you spent your entire life high or drunk?
Jesus said the following regarding the servant who failed to use the resources He gave him. “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:28-30).
Are you using the treasures and gifts God placed in you to help the people in your life? Are you taking care of your children or have you given that responsibility to your relatives as you pursue your next high? Scripture says, if you don't take care of the children you brought into this world you are worse than an infidel.
"People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord. 1 Timothy 5:8(CEV)
Though you may be on drugs God still loves you and wants to help you. He wants you to be delivered from Satan's bondage but you must come to Him. Please be advised that you will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for the things you've done. 2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad."
What will he say to you my friend? Examine yourself. You may have reasons for being on drugs but you don't have excuses? Jesus died to take away every excuse you have for staying in sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He set the captives free and declared the victory. Will you choose to live in victory or defeat?
If you continue to live on drugs you turn the grace of God into a lie and will live as a pauper instead of a king! Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rise up kings and priests of the most high God. Take your place as citizens of heaven and members of God's household (Philippians 3:20, Ephesians 2:19).
