DEALING WITH ADDICTIONS

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN FIVE PARAGRAPHS

1. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

2.  I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it. I fall in. I can't believe I'm in the same place, but it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

3. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there. I still fall in. It's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately.

4. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

5. I walk down a different street.

--Author unknown

I waited for a moment or two before replying. I was in his home, and I wanted to be courteous. Then, too, he was a very worthwhile gentleman, and I did not want to lose him.

Finally, I said, "Do you know I believe God always looks at one’s motives rather than at one’s acts. He looks at why one does a thing rather than at what one does."

He agreed with me.

"Why do you smoke?" I inquired.

"Oh, just to be sociable," he replied.

"Are you sure of that?" I questioned.

"Why do you think I do?" he countered.

"I think you smoke because you can’t quit it in your own strength. That pipe is your master, and God is always displeased when anything masters us. For my part I would not let a pipe master me. Yes, I do think it is wrong to smoke when smoking is my master. Why don’t you quit? You’re too big a man to be ruled by a pipe." I had told him pretty straight, and it sort of got him; he did not seem to have anything to say in return. After prayer I left him with a few encouraging words. Of course I invited him to church.

Sure enough, he was there the next Sunday and his wife was with him. It was easy to preach to him, as he seemed to drink in every word. He came every Sunday for several weeks, and then our revival services commenced. He did not resist long. He and his wife were among the first to come. It did not take them long to pray through either. Later they were sanctified and joined the church.

One day he confided to me, "I haven’t touched the pipe once from the day you called on me. I sort of saw the thing in a new way after your visit. You made me feel ashamed to think that a pipe or anything else could rule me. When you prayed for me I asked God to give me strength to leave it alone. He did and I did. I discovered it was the thing that was keeping me from having a real experience. Before that I always hid behind the fact that the Bible said nothing about tobacco. You made me see that tobacco or anything else that ruled me was displeasing to God."

It happened six years ago, and he is still leaving the old pipe alone.

I trust that God will help me to point out toeveryone everywhere that anything that rules them comes between them and God. God wants to rule and reign in our lives, and through the strength and grace He gives us He intends that we shall be rulers, and as rulers we shall rule over the domain of our own body, mind and soul.