May 14
Scripture focus: When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! James 1:9 The Message
Addictions impair our receptivity to grace because, by definition, active addiction makes us crazy. It clouds our reasoning and obliterates our ability to care about others. The addicted brain is crafty, manipulative and selfish. Witnessing the destructive habits of the addicted is enough to make observers cry out for justice and request that grace be given to someone who deserves it (which feels judgmental). An alternative viewpoint is to consider all “down-and-outers” as helpless victims, for whom there is little hope for redemption. Something “made them” do whatever that despicable thing is they did – and we, as loving Christians, should just give them a break (which feels merciful). Do you ever find yourself waffling between these two responses?
Creating a space for grace is an interesting proposition. It requires a commitment to truth with a lot of wriggle room for what we might not understand.
After watching the dance of addiction for many years, I’m unwilling to accept the notion that anything is bigger than God’s love. Therefore, although I can cite chapter and verse all the reasons that addiction is difficult to treat and stubbornly resistant to intervention, I am convinced that no matter the systemic nature of the oppression, there resides within us the eternal possibility for freedom. I cannot give up on the hope of transformation. I refuse to label anyone as a helpless victim in need of constant rescue but beyond the reach of redemption.
For me, grace is a verb. And it is personal. We have a friend in our community that is a felon, served time in prison, lost his voting rights and his driver’s license. He spent years looking for a job in a vain attempt to “get back” what addiction took from him – a decent job, a good reputation and a reasonably comfortable life. God never gave him back some of the things he lost. But our buddy would tell you that he has received far greater gifts from the Father of Light. Today he is a counselor in a treatment facility. He’s maintained, completely by the grace of God, long term sobriety in the face of daunting obstacles. He had to receive financial support from others; he had to ask for help repeatedly; he had to open his hands and take whatever anyone was willing to offer him – including jobs that were beneath his educational and experience level and money to help pay rent.
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1 comment:
Can we apply Grace to those whose addictive behaviors that violated our beliefs or sensibilities?
Can we apply it to the pedophile, the exposer, the guy that had an affair with another man while married, the guy that flipped his car and the lived while the passenger was killed and having to watch his kids grieve.
Or is it selective grace unlike Gods grace only extended to those we personally like. You know the guys we make sit on the floor while "our treasured guest" get the chair.
Its easy to love a recovering drunk or dope head as we all know them and society has come to accept them. ( assimilate)
My God is big enough for all that are seeking redemption and I have seen HIS Grace extended to so many. Sometimes it is so dang hard to place principles before personalities. I have seen the restored pedophile,exposer,car crasher, drug addict, drunk, porn junkie, intellectual and drooling wet brain and know that I must get my predisposed self on HIS Grace wagon. Jesus made it clear in a prayer that we recite by rote that we are forgiven as we forgive others.
Can we walk that talk? Them's big shoes hope to one day have big enough feet to stay in um.
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