And God Gave Them Over: Recovery from Addiction through Spiritual Growth

An immensely popular yet very unbiblical clich says, "God helps those who help themselves." Long removed is any idea of self-help for those afflicted with an addiction to substances and activities. Thus, leaving them with only the hope of calling out to God because God helps those who come to the end of themselves and turn to Him in repentance for salvation and freedom from the bondage of addiction. Addictions have reached epidemic proportions, and from the Christian perspective, addiction is a spiritual problem requiring a spiritual solution. A Christian spiritual model of recovery boasts that a person in Christ is a new creation - the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come No longer are we burdened with the label of; "once and addict, always an addict." The practice of spiritual discipline becomes the change in the mind as our beloved Apostle Paul told us to be renewed in the transformation of the mind to know God's will, that is good, acceptable, and perfect.Scripture reveals that habitual sin meets with God's judgment towards those who abuse substances and activities in the hope of bringing the afflicted into repentance and recovery in Christ Jesus. The purpose of this book is to put forth the understanding of addiction as a symptom of habitual sin. And that a living hope exists for those who turn their lives over to the care of God. Plain and simple, the abuse of alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, and a host of other compulsive behaviors are contrary to the will and the moral law of God - better known as SIN This book educates those entering recovery that spiritual growth is needed to protect them from relapse, pointing out that addictions and destructive compulsive behaviors are part of sinful humanity and that a particular effort is required to lift us out of this bottomless pit. The solution is an extra special nearness to God that only the practice of spiritual discipline can provide. The seven spiritual disciplines of prayer, study, meditation, reflection, fellowship, worship, and service, if practiced with an unwavering commitment to change, will become a foundation to building a life in Christ, free from addiction and compulsive behaviors. For counselors and ministry leaders treating addiction and supporting recovery, a paradigm shift has appeared. Now, spiritual intervention, as part of an integrated treatment of addiction, is widely accepted. Rather than exclusive reliance on the medical model that claims addiction as a disease of the brain, support has been gathering towards the credibility that addiction is a spiritual problem of sin.This book introduces a spiritual recovery model, a spiritual method for getting out of addiction and into recovery. Yet, it supports a position to consider all intervention models to counter the epidemic magnitude of addiction faced in this country. It recognizes that behavioral therapies and step programs are gifts from God, provided they are not opposed to biblical teaching. Consecrate them to God for the good of society. This book promotes a more conciliatory tone for the treatment of addiction in the hopes of continuing the cooperation and education of spiritual recovery to the secular treatment community.