Detox

Have you ever gotten one of those caffeine headaches? My wife gets them. She's a tea drinker. She gets caffeine headaches when she STOPS drinking her caffeine-laden tea and begins to "detox" from the drug. Yet my wife still professes, "You can never have enough tea!" And she will STILL get her headaches when she abstains from drinking her "drug" for a few days. She doesn't want to give up her tea. Addicted?

I have a friend who, during his testimony about how Jesus changed his life, told us about his former drug habit. He had begun using drugs at a very early age - in his early teen years. As time went on the frequency of his drug usage increased. So did the dosages he took. Whenever the amount of the particular drug he was taking at the time no longer had the same effect it once did, he would simply increase the amount. Trying to obtain that same high. The power of the drugs increased and so did the danger.

When asked what drugs he took he replied, "Name one." My friend eventually went through a free, cold-turkey detox program offered by the local police department . . . when they arrested him For posession and distributing. It wasn't easy for my friend or for his body to come down from the levels of the drugs he had gotten used to. A sad chapter in my friend's life and quite terrifying as well.

It's easy for most of us to sit back in our comfy chairs and feel sorry for drug addicts and alcoholics. "Oh well," we say. On to the next news story. Time to turn the page. Thank God that we're not like THOSE people! If that's how we react we need to pause right there and open up our Bibles to Luke, the 18th chapter.

"10 Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Luke 18:10-14

So . . . what's YOUR drug? Is there something in your life you need to detox from?

My wife might tell you that MY drug is this blog. I do enjoy writing. I enjoy seeing all of the countries the readers of these stories come from and how many people are reading it. But I DO try to watch myself. I limit my writing to three times per week and I try to write when my wife is not around or while she is watching television. And "I can quit any time I want too!" Well . . . maybe. ;)

Seriously though, think about it. What is our personal drug of choice? I think for me it was mindlessly watching television. But what is THEE "drug" that has control over all of our lives. What are we as a society addicted to more than any other drug available on the market today? Is it alcohol? Or money? Is it our work? Or perhaps it is our play - golf? NASCAR? Baseball? Football? The Green Bay Packers? Think about it. What is the thing we are addicted to most of all. The answer is . . . ourselves.

Everything we do in this world, everything we watch on television, everything we buy in the stores, everything we drive on the streets, everything we "worship" is all about us in some way. Is that what we as Christians are supposed to be about? People are supposed to look at us and say, "Now THERE goes a Christian." Do we exude Christianity? Or is it something like this:

"I don't want to eat that for dinner. I hate that stuff."

"This wasn't on my Christmas list. Can we go to the mall so I can exchange it for something I REALLY want?"

"When can I get a new phone? This one is so old!"

I think it's about time we detoxed from this world and become addicted to Jesus Christ.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2

There can only be one "drug" for us as Christians and that is The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind and strength." - Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27

Do you think that a verse mentioned that many times in the Bible might just be a little important to God? I do. Than why don't WE believe that? Why don't we LIVE that?

Heavenly Father, may we become obsessed with you today. May you be first in our lives and in all we say and do. And may this day be the first day of a renewed relationship with you Lord - our Savior, our King. for it is in your Holy Name that we pray. Amen.

Better Than Drugs - by Skillet