MY FRIEND IS ADDICTIVE TO DRUGS
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: My vriend is verslaaf aan dwelms
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone wrote the following to me:
“My heart this morning is extremely broken because I found out this weekend that my friend is addicted to drugs.”
I will send you something that I wrote regarding drugs shortly after this.
For now just the following as I understand/see it through the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
You are now dealing with an immense problem and the first thing that you need to clearly be aware of is that you now must certainly not even think to get married at this point in time with this person.
Both of you need to find out where the nearest rehabilitation centre is and he should go there as quickly as possible.
Drugs are a dead end that eventually destroys everyone who would not, could not or do not want to turn around and get rid of it.
It is a great tragedy but there is another major tragedy:
It also affects everyone who is intimately involved with the addicted person and does not think wise and stay right minded to become part of the statistics of that heart-breaking tragedy.
You say that your friend knows God.
In such a case it will make it easier for him to do something about his situation.
Sometimes people actually think that they ‘know[a]’ Jesus but actually they are only ‘aware[b]’ of Him and that does not make you a child of God.
Pontius Pilate also knew of Jesus.
He even met Jesus and then handed Him over to be crucified.
I can be very religious and at the same time completely without a relationship with our Lord in my life.
To truly know Jesus, you must have a true loving relationship with Him.
What are the visual signs that I know Jesus and have a loving relationship with Him?
JOHN 14:21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
MAT 7:16-20
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Pious[c] talk does not have a place in God’s kingdom.
MAT 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
I do not know if you have read where I have mentioned it, therefore I say it again even though I have talked about it many times in my answers to other people.
You must never give your heart to someone if you are not absolutely certain that that person has not already given his/her heart to Jesus.
There may be cases where a Christian has done that and where the marriage has worked out as to be right in the eyes of our Lord, but I do not know of such a case.
All of the instances that I know of, knowingly or unknowingly, has ended up in great sadness /broken hearted for the Christian.
I say knowing and unknowingly – because you see in many instances the Christian later becomes to fit in with the unbeliever, completely detached from their Christianity and in the end will no longer be bothered by the unchristian behaviour.
That is what I believe and that is precisely why our Lord had the following written for us:
2 COR 6:14-16
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. …”
You must also not say or think that you will lead him to our Lord after the marriage.
There are many ministries in the Word of our Lord but this is not one of the ministries, that a Christian must marry a person and thereafter lead that person to our Lord.
What clearly has been written for that Christian is what you have just read in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.
In an older translation (King James Version KJV) 2 COR 6:14-16 reads as follows:
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; …”
In closing I want to mention the following to all people that are addicted:
If I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, it does not matter how bad my circumstances are according to the measurements of the people around me. Our Lord looks at you and me who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour and He just sees His children, a brother or sister of Jesus Christ:
ROM 8:29 For those (us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour) God foreknew (us who have accepted Jesus as Redeemer and Saviour) He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.(that is you and me)
So, even if you are addicted to whatever and even if your circumstances are very bad in the eyes of the people –
You can be helped if you put your trust in Jesus and you make use of the aids (services) that He has provided for us. Then you will be able and shall escape and be free from your current circumstances. Because Jesus says in His Word to us:
.
MAT 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light
MAT 12:20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.
Just never let your addiction become the norm in your life. Never assume the position:
“It’s just the weakness in my life and it’s just the way it is and I’ve made peace with it.”
Fight against it. Even though you may have to fight it all your life here on earth.
If you read this thought from the Word and you feel that it is applicable to you today, our Lord is now speaking to you through this writing:
ISA 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Greetings,
Sakkie
Footnote:
a Know – have developed a relationship with (someone) through meeting and spending time with them.
b Aware – having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
c Pious – 1) devoutly religious. 2) Making or constituting a hypocritical display of virtue.