As I was reading today and rewriting 1 Timothy (don’t judge
me, I read and paraphrase in my own words so I process through it – pretty handy
technique to help me remember), I was expounding some of my thoughts on the
qualifications for an overseer and deacon. Why are these things here? Is it a
checklist? No. They’re things that are important to have in your character so
that you best represent Christ and so that you’re not distracted and others
aren’t distracted by you. They listed “not addicted to much wife, not greedy
for dishonest gain” “sober-minded and not slanderers” along with some other
things. But I started to realize, we work as addicts. One was “not a lover of
money.” I looked at this one and saw that money isn’t bad but it’s to what end
do you chase it down. Why this is important is because your focus is not on
people and what they need, but your end result looking throughout your day is
how to get more money. You won’t care for the poor and powerless, you’ll care
for the rich and their money.
I started to realize that in the same way that we look at
the dirty addictions -meth, cocaine, alcohol- the slightly more hidden
addictions -pornography, masturbation, anorexia, bulimia – and the culturally accepted
addictions – working out, how you look, how you compare to others in the room,
wanting to be wealthy and famous, being “boy-crazy” or “girl-crazy”, wanting
better adrenaline rush, and so on. You may argue, “well those aren’t addictions”
but I would disagree. I’ve dealt with
addictions before, I’ve talked to other people, and I’ve analyzed and probably
overanalyzed my behavior to find the result.
An addiction is something that you don’t have to think
about, but your natural response is to seek after how to get more of it. Your
reasoning becomes skewed and you begin to elevate whatever this thing is above
all other things. It’s your longing, your place you go to when you space out,
your I’ll give up change plans for this thing. I’ve done and seen people do things
that just don’t make any sense, but their focus is on getting that addiction,
that substance, that image, that feeling, that look, that high, that whatever. The
problem with an addiction is it’s never enough. I mean, this time it is but it
always leaves you wanting more and more and more. Eventually, people are losing
their house, selling their stuff, losing family members, and everything else to
get more of what they need.
Funny how it works out that Love and Addiction are so close
together. Love is seen as a good thing. Addiction is bad. Re-read through the
last paragraph but consider it to be love rather than addiction.
I propose every addiction is a misguided and much weaker
version of a greater Love. How do you get over an addiction, by replacing it
with something else. Rather than replacing an addiction with an addiction (a
weak form of love for another weak form of love), perhaps we should consider a
greater form of Love. Don’t check out yet. Consider the fact that Jesus is
addicting. He’ll make you sell your house, leave your family, give up your
habits, an quit your job as you follow Him, to get more of Him.
At a quick glance they look the same, but they’re not. An
addiction is usually harmful to you, your health, and your relationships long
term. It could be socially harmful (judgmentalism, comparing others, always
trying to prove yourself), spiritually harmful (getting involved in other
things, searching for value in things or approval, looking for respect in those
who can’t give it) and physically harmful (eating disorders, weight loss, digestional
issues, memory loss, brain damage). But Jesus is long-term improving. Your
relationships have more love, honor, and respect in them, your find value in
who He says you are and give value that way, you have life beyond this one, and
enjoy this one to the fullest, and you take care of your body better, eat
right, and do the right amount of exercise. Addicts think they’re life is
pretty good and they’re “happy” but people on the outside don’t want it and
know it’s not true. People who really have Jesus think they’re “happy” AND
people on the outside know it and want it too. Jesus is the best addiction. He’s
the better addiction. His driving force is Love not a high, certain value, or
image – although you get all of those things with Love. Jesus – the best
addiction possible.
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