Christian Recovery: Are you Addicted to the Addict?

If there’s one thing we know for sure when it comes to Christians in addiction, it’s that their lives don’t glorify God. In fact, so much about their lives are opposite of what’s described as godly in the Bible. For example, the Scriptures about the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) talk about having love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The addict doesn’t enjoy any of these fruits. In many cases, the loved ones of the addict aren’t enjoying them either.

When Christians continually choose alcohol or their drug of choice over God and the well-being of their loved ones, they are allowing Satan to operate as their master, thereby engaging the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 presents a list of these very negative behaviors, and makes it clear that “that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

While the life of an addict is crazy and filled with chaos, the loved ones usually find themselves in the center of the insanity right along with them. In most cases, family and friends get so caught up trying to save the addict, their behavior turns sinful because a ‘messianic complex’ doesn’t make room for God.

The following are the top 10 ways to tell if you or someone you know is addicted to the addict:

1.       You are obsessed with all aspects of the addict’s life.

2.       You believe you have the solution for the problem, and when one solution doesn’t work, you look for another.

3.       You live in fear. Fear of what the addict will do or won’t do.

4.       You lie to yourself. You know the addict is lying to you, but you accept the lies, thus lying to yourself.

5.       Your life is unbalanced. It’s up and down according to the actions and behaviors of the addict.

6.       You isolate, thus becoming like the addict. You stop living YOUR life.

7.       You are in the midst of a cycle. You keep doing what has proven not to work.

8.       You carry the addicts’ burdens for them, thereby saving them from suffering their own consequences.

9.       The addict is living the life they choose. You are living your live based on those choices.

10.   You are unable to properly function in your job, your family, your ministry and in other relationships.

The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program is not only a resource for Christians seeking freedom from addictions, it is also a resource for the loved ones of addicts who become enmeshed in the problem. To learn more about how the recovery team can help, visit the website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

You can also find our RECOVERY BOOK on Amazon.com "Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery."