Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”
Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine, or with those who gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags.” Proverbs 23:20-21
Our thought for today: “Addiction destroys.”
It’s amazing how prone we human beings are to addictive behaviors, and how destructive those addictions become. In Proverbs 23:20-21 Solomon makes specific reference to two of the most common addictions, alcohol and food. If we add to that sexual addictions and drug abuse we have the top four addictions most prevalent in our society today.
Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in our society today. Just in terms of the sheer number of people impacted by it in terms of lost wages, lost health, broken relationships, and crimes committed as a result of it, alcohol is the most destructive. There are literally thousands of residential alcohol rehab centers in our country today (because that many are needed), and there are Alcoholic Antonymous chapters in every city and town.
Addiction to food is even more widespread than addiction to alcohol. Obesity, type-two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other gluttony-induced health problems are epidemic in our society today. We’ve gotten to the point now that being overweight is the norm and those who are not overweight are a minority in our society. Gluttony is destroying our health. Despite all of the scientific advances in medicine, nutrition, and exercise physiology, the overall health of Americans is actually declining!
Drug addiction has also become an epidemic. Addiction to pills, addiction to all the various forms of opioids, and the manufacture and use of methamphetamine is ravaging our communities and families.
And then there is sexual addiction. We live in a sex-saturated culture. Not only is almost every deviant form of sexual expression being practiced (much of it openly), but the transmission of sexual fluids has created a social and health crisis that few would have anticipated – unwanted pregnancy, abortion, genital herpes, and AIDS, just to name a few. And then there are the scourges of pornography, sexual trafficking, child sexual abuse, and more. Sexual addiction is a curse from the pit of hell.
Solomon wrote the Proverbs over three thousand years ago but basic human nature has not changed much. We’re still slaves to our addictions, and the things we allow ourselves to become addicted to eventually destroy us.
The good news is that Jesus breaks the chains of addiction. It’s not magic, and He doesn’t do it without our cooperation – we have to want to be free and we have to do the hard work to get free, but Jesus does set the captives free. That means that He can and will help you gain freedom over whatever it is you’re addicted to.
Surrender your addiction to Him. Seek His help with it day-by-day and moment-by-moment. And then be sure to do your part too.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 