Thought for the Month - August 2020
"Bad" by Barry Adair
(Wide awake)
I don't think I have written about drugs or drug abuse before but they were in my head this month. I confess that, thankfully, I have no clue what it is like to be on drugs. However, I have seen the effects of drug abuse on communities, celebrities and friends. I have a friend who was able to get off heroin many years ago and I am still haunted by his story, more on this later.
I recently wrote about how the devil is distracting the world. And how he is desperate to hide the truth that, although we are all spiritually lost, we all can be saved. God sent Jesus for our salvation, this is the gospel and it is freely available to everyone. But the devil is well aware of this and wants to blind the world to this fact. We are distracted by him on so many levels and on so many fronts. And one of these is drug addiction. Drugs warp minds. Drugs enslave. Drugs destroy. Drugs kill young healthy lives.
I don't think I need to say too much more about drug abuse or the drug industry. If you have watched any of the Narcos series on TV you will know all about narcotics and the murderous trade in bringing them to the streets. And even if not, you will have seen the news and witnessed how drug abuse totally wrecks lives, families, communities and indeed whole countries.
So, what, if anything, does the Bible say about drug use? Recognising, of course, that the misuse of narcotic drugs is more of a recent phenomenon. However, the Bible does have a few things to say. And when it ever mentions a "sober mind", it is referring to any substance which would impair rational thinking i.e. both alcohol and drugs.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
"Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming." (1 Peter 1:13)
The devil is mentioned in one of the verses for the reason I mentioned earlier. His wish to control, distract and mislead is well documented in the Bible. I only wish the human population could see this! But of course, it is all part of his plan to keep us from the love of God.
…the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, addition mine)
Drug dependency robs a person of all that makes him or her a functioning and rational human being. They are then completely vulnerable with absolutely no self-control…
A man (or woman) without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28, addition mine)
And they are enslaved to the drug and it controls their lives, right up to the point where it takes their lives from them!
You may remember that I like the Irish rock band U2. They have a song which is a favourite of mine and is called "Bad". It was written by Bono about a friend of his who died of a heroin overdose. The author desperately wanted to save his friend…
If I could throw this lifeless lifeline to the wind
Leave this heart of clay
See you walk, walk away
If I could through myself
Set your spirit free, I'd lead your heart away
See you break, break away
And the feelings mentioned in the song are the very real feelings addicts will experience during or after a 'trip'…
This desperation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation
Some of the trips experienced by addicts are referred to as "bad". These can be horrendous. Remember the story of the friend I spoke about earlier? He told me that he believed in the devil because he had seen him! Such was the ferocity of this bad trip that he didn't want to remember any more of it. Thankfully he was able to kick his heroin habit due to his new found faith in Jesus Christ. Many others are not so lucky. Many go the way the devil wants them to go. Many young lives cut down in their prime. Unable to experience life. Unable to work out the meaning of life. Unable to make their peace with God. Unable to leave this life in the sure and certain hope of life eternal. And unable to wake up in heaven's glorious light. The U2 song "Bad" ends with these poignant words…
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no
Oh how the author wanted his friend to be alive, and to be alive like he had never been before! But it is too late for his friend. He has gone.
When the Lord Jesus saves, He saves to the uttermost. He saves forever and He saves completely. And His promises will come to pass. Heaven awaits all who humbly submit to Him, to all who exchange their sinful lives for His saving grace. One day we can all be awake, and awake like we have never been before - wide awake!
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no
As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15, KJV)
Until next month (DV)…
(All Bible quotations are from the ESV, unless stated)
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