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Overcoming Addictions 01/22/16

What God Says about Your Buzz

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The Truth about Your BUZZ

Getting drunk. Getting high. Seeking the buzz from any mind-altering substance. “It will ruin your life!” the scripture says.

Read Ephesians 5:15-20:  “So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thousands in recovery from the devastation alcoholism has brought to their lives will agree - it brings ruin in many ways. The same holds true for other addictions. Any buzz we chase, instead of choosing to seek God's best for our lives, will eventually bring ruin. It’s a dead end street.

Four Reasons We Seek a Buzz

In a nutshell, we seek a buzz because we want to alter our senses and feel less inhibited, less stressed, less hopeless, more fun, more confident, etc. Common denominator is “feeling”. Why? There could be several reasons. I believe these four reasons would top the list:

We are used to getting a buzz; it’s a familiar feeling.
We like the way we feel when we have a buzz; it’s a comfortable feeling.
We use the buzzed feeling to lighten up, escape our difficult lives; it’s a way to find a different existence.
We get our buzz with those in our inner circle of closeness; it’s a shared experience.

When getting drunk and high has become a lifestyle, we are fooled into thinking our altered emotional state is better for us. That lasts until we get a drunk driving arrest, get in trouble with the law or in our relationships, lose a job, start piling up a history of regrets from foolish behavior and choices while “under the influence”. Ruin. God is right.

God’s Solution

Comparatively, following Jesus, seeking to know God's truths and surrendering to His ways of life for us brings joy and a full life with no end. Jesus says in John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

Many places in scripture we see that seeking God first and his righteousness describe his will for our lives. He wants to be our number one! He deserves to be in first place, not secondary to some buzz that we seek. The question becomes, are we ready to admit that our buzz has become a little god? 

Ask yourself - why do you get drunk or high?

A God Buzz

In 1 Samuel: 1 and 2, the Bible tells the story of a woman named Hannah who was praying in deep sincerity and Eli the priest noticed her behavior and accused her of being drunk. “’Oh no, sir!’ she replied. ‘I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD,’” 1 Samuel 1:15.

Most of the Psalms are written by David, who was so pumped up for the Lord that he wrote song after song expressing how much he enjoyed God’s comfort and presence. One could say that David sought the Lord for his buzz.

There are so many recovery programs to help us replace our addictions with the peace of God. We all have times when we want to feel comforted and not living under the lordship of our emotions. We can get our buzz from God; the scripture called it “filled with the Holy Spirit.” It’s free, although Jesus paid a tremendous price for us to have it. 

Don’t be deceived any longer. Remember how you felt at the time in your life when you were closest to Christ. That’s a Holy Spirit high! 

If you’ve never had this close experience with Jesus and want it, please call CBN’s prayer center 1-800-759-0700, your pastor or local church, and ask how you can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Please feel free to comment on this blog. Let’s be honest and share our struggles and victories through Christ. Why do you seek a buzz? Do you want to stop? Why or why not?

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