In a society where there are countless individuals seeking to recover from drug addiction, one of the most important tools used are the resources and information that individuals use to recover; resources such as literature, specific guidelines and steps, and of course other people’s experiences. One of society’s resources for people with drug addictions is Narcotics Anonymous. This organization has been around since 1936 and has helped countless people in their recovery process, but there are some disturbing things about the literature that is being promoted to the people in recovery. As I was reading the Narcotics Anonymous (How It Works) literature, I found something that was quite disturbing to me because it contradicts the Word of God. The literature states, [There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. With these we are well on our way. We feel that our approach to the disease of addiction is completely realistic, for the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel. We feel that our way is practical, for one addict can best understand and help another addict. We believe that the sooner we face our problems within our society, in everyday living, just that much faster do we become acceptable, responsible, and productive members of that society. The only way to keep from returning to active addiction is not to take that first drug. If you are like us you know that one is too many and a thousand never enough. We put great emphasis on this, for we know that when we use drugs in any form, or substitute one for another, we release our addiction all over again.] One of the first thoughts after reading this was to discern the truth in God’s word to what has been stated in this literature. The very first statement says, “There is one thing more than anything else that will defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.” In other words, one of things that will defeat a person in recovery is having a mindset that has no concern for spiritual principles, and a mindset that is unwilling to or refuses to accept people who have different views, beliefs or lifestyles. Personally, I have some strong concerns about this statement because of the three principles that were named, which are honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness. I have no problem with following spiritual principles, but I do have a problem when those spiritual principles having no foundation or reference to the True and Living God by which we come through Jesus Christ for salvation and restoration… Of course there are many different beliefs and views concerning the spiritual standards we should live up to, but where are these standards coming from and what are they rooted in? As I read Galatians 4: 8-9, it revealed the truth, which says, “Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?” No matter what we hold to be true in our own minds, we must pull from what the bible says is the standard of truth. Respecting another individual’s views, beliefs and lifestyle is not a problem, but it becomes a problem when those views, beliefs and lifestyles oppose the word of God, and the believer is then exposed to the lies within the minds of these individuals. Granted, everyone grows and recovers at a different rate, but as it says in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” As a believer of Jesus Christ, this scripture is clearly warning those who have accepted Jesus to be cautious of others who may in fact deceive them through any system of belief, values, or tenets, and according to the traditions of men, according to the basic values of men. The bible goes on to say in Colossians 2:20, “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations.” Here is where my concern is. Individuals who are in recovery, who have given their lives to God through Christ are no longer subject to these basic, human viewpoints, and ways of life that are encouraged and promoted in the Narcotics Anonymous program. Some, if not most people in recovery have not truly understood their identities and positions in Christ. Are we really identifying ourselves with the cross of Jesus Christ, Do we know the benefits and authority we have been given in and through Him? In the book of Hosea 4:6, it says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me.” The blue letter bible explains that the word ‘knowledge’ in this text means, “for want of the knowledge of God”. This to me says more than enough. How are we suppose get the true knowledge of God through the different views, beliefs and lifestyles of others in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. We must depend on our personal relationship with God, through Christ if we are to grow spiritually and recover from the Stronghold of addiction. If anyone is directing others in a way which leads them away from Christ and causes doubt and confusion, then it’s time to come out from among them and be ye separated. The second statement in Narcotics Anonymous literature that contradicts the truth in God’s word is, “The only way to keep from returning to active addiction is not to take that first drug.” This statement is not altogether true at all. Denying yourself of the use of drugs is not the only way, it is however one of the things you must be accountable and responsible for while in your recovery process. I know for a fact that abstinence alone can’t keep a person from picking up that first drug. If that statement were true, then there would be no relapsing in recovery. By what power can a person not use a drug that they continuously confess they are powerless over, and it remain permanent. The word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Only by the spirit of the Lord can a person permanently keep themselves from returning to active addiction. I don’t care how much will power a person thinks they have against this unseen enemy that tries to pull us back into active addiction; if you don’t have the Power of the Holy Spirit working on the inside of you, you will, most often than not, relapse at some point in your recovery. Our minds must be set free and renewed by the word of God, by the Power of the Holy Spirit as it says in Romans 12:2. But let’s look at what the word of God says concerning the root of relapse (returning to active action) and the cause of it. I will say this with confidence, “Our deliverance is connected to our thinking” and the only way to keep from returning to active addiction is to “Renew your Mind” with God’s word. In Romans 7:15-17 says, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Here is the root cause!! We must realize that the flesh is not something we can take off like a watch or a pair of pants; the flesh is part of who we are, not all of who we are, and it can be used to do good, but the issue comes when we put all of our human effort into not using, and totally ignore the Grace of God and the word of God. In John 6:63, Jesus says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” In other words, the words that Jesus has left to us in the bible are not merely words on paper; they are spirit and they are life. Jesus is not talking about just any spirit; he’s speaking of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Let’s just be honest, Romans 7:15 applies to all of us, “For what I would do, that I do not.” This says, the thing that I would allow that’s good for me, I end up not doing it or not allowing it. But here’s the real crazy part; what I absolutely hate doing, I find myself doing that very thing. For example, you know smoking cigarettes is an addiction and unhealthy; you want to stop, but you keep smoking. You hate being broke, but you won’t get a job. Instead you continuously rely on your old mindset, which says, “My man will take good care me”. You hate being lonely, but you won’t stop sleeping around with different men/women. All of these examples show us just how the sin that lives within us operates, but without the mind of Christ, we have no Power. Our carnal minds, our old mindsets struggle with following God’s word and living for God. So let’s step into the new mind as it says in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Time out for allowing others to dictate who we are in Christ. Nowhere in their literature does it reference Jesus Christ or the word of God. Let us realize and be honest amongst ourselves and know that NA is the world’s resource/ tool used to help or rather assist in the recovery process, not the final authority as to how we live our lives. I’m trying to figure out what is really being implied when they stated, “We put great emphasis on this, for we know that when we use drugs in any form, or substitute one for another, we release our addiction all over again.” Now for a nonbeliever this may be true because the Holy Spirit is not at work inside of that person, but how can we, as the body of Christ, release an addiction that was crucified with Christ. (Gal. 2:20) Our identities are not based on performance, but it is rooted in our rebirth through Christ. In no way are we held under subjection to the power of sin because we have the Power of the Holy Spirit working inside of us, which helps us in our recovery and sanctification process. Releasing the addiction would mean that it is still laying dormant inside of us, but Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” The quote unquote “disease of addiction” cannot live together with Christ; for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2Cor. 6:14)
Grace is our defining factor. If we subscribe to these sets of human standards, people are bound to fail in their recovery process. This is but another form of bondage; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. In Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” And what about what it says in Colossians 2:13-15, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Are we going to believe the word of God or are we going to allow the world to dictate to us who we are? I know that there literature says “they feel that their way is practical and that one addict can best understand and help another addict,” but the word of God says in Luke 6:39-42, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Now this scripture right here can in no way be misinterpreted, and if it is or has been; let me clarify it from what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. The first statement concerning the “blind leading the blind” means one mentally blind person leading another mentally blind person. So why allow someone with an unrenewed mind to lead you to a truth they don’t know; both will fall and fail in their efforts to do so. It also says we are not above of our teacher Jesus Christ, but everyone who is equipped and prepared will be like his teacher. This says to me that each and every follower of Christ will become more like him as we are led and prepared according to His word through our personal relationship with Him. But then He goes on to ask why do you look at the faults in your brother path, but do not look at the faults in your own path. How can an individual say, let me remove the faults that are in your path when you don’t even see the faults of your own. In other words, “How can you tell me how to stay clean, when you haven’t successfully stayed clean yourself?”First remove the faults you have in your path and then you will be able to see how to remove others faults. So if you’re blind to the Truth in God’s word which frees us, then how can you lead anyone out of their bondage? Why would anyone sit around and be complacent with abstaining from addiction when Freedom is available? Why would anyone keep silent about the freedom that Jesus so freely gives? Who has more influence over your life, the rooms of NA or Jesus Christ? Someone has got to know and share the truth of Christ in the rooms. It’s time out for wanting to fit in and all the while withholding the truth, simply because everyone doesn’t believe in your God. I will conclude my plea with 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
Grace is our defining factor. If we subscribe to these sets of human standards, people are bound to fail in their recovery process. This is but another form of bondage; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. In Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” And what about what it says in Colossians 2:13-15, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Are we going to believe the word of God or are we going to allow the world to dictate to us who we are? I know that there literature says “they feel that their way is practical and that one addict can best understand and help another addict,” but the word of God says in Luke 6:39-42, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Now this scripture right here can in no way be misinterpreted, and if it is or has been; let me clarify it from what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. The first statement concerning the “blind leading the blind” means one mentally blind person leading another mentally blind person. So why allow someone with an unrenewed mind to lead you to a truth they don’t know; both will fall and fail in their efforts to do so. It also says we are not above of our teacher Jesus Christ, but everyone who is equipped and prepared will be like his teacher. This says to me that each and every follower of Christ will become more like him as we are led and prepared according to His word through our personal relationship with Him. But then He goes on to ask why do you look at the faults in your brother path, but do not look at the faults in your own path. How can an individual say, let me remove the faults that are in your path when you don’t even see the faults of your own. In other words, “How can you tell me how to stay clean, when you haven’t successfully stayed clean yourself?”First remove the faults you have in your path and then you will be able to see how to remove others faults. So if you’re blind to the Truth in God’s word which frees us, then how can you lead anyone out of their bondage? Why would anyone sit around and be complacent with abstaining from addiction when Freedom is available? Why would anyone keep silent about the freedom that Jesus so freely gives? Who has more influence over your life, the rooms of NA or Jesus Christ? Someone has got to know and share the truth of Christ in the rooms. It’s time out for wanting to fit in and all the while withholding the truth, simply because everyone doesn’t believe in your God. I will conclude my plea with 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
You do not and will not fit in! You have been called out, now Stand Out and recognize the truth from a lie.
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