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Addiction
Published by Shenouda on 2007/10/11 (4624 reads)
ADDICTION: A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE
Causes Of Drug Addiction We are going to look at these causes not merely to identify them, but rather to try to overcome them with the help of God. We will keep in mind that these causes can affect all of us. However, not all people fall into drug addiction because of these factors. Some people are psychologically and socially vulnerable to it.
The felling of emptiness There is no doubt that some young people suffer from all sorts of emptiness.
The importance of the role of the church becomes clear: it has to fill the emptiness, whether it be intellectual, emotional or physical. Undoubtedly, young people who are united to Christ and the church have concepts. Values and means of spending their leisure time in a fruitful way. This allows them to avoid problems which those far from the church and Christ may complain of.
Undermining of one's sense of values This is one of the phenomena that have recently increased. The Devil tries to confront us with specific characters out of which he makes heroes and even gods, that people are likely to admire, In the meantime. The Devil tries with all his strength and by all sorts of pressures to crush these idols so that they collapse, causing their worshippers to collapse too. According, the youth reaches the conclusion that it is impossible to live in holiness, or behave honestly. Virtuously and honorably. The result is a state of practical disorder that leads to loss of devotion to principles and virtues, falling thereafter into evil and sin. Perhaps there are many factors that may drive the youth to fell that his or her values are shaken up. such as :
Here the church has a leading role: the youth may see the sons of Christ, inside the church, as blessed examples, whether they be monks, clergy or marring laity convincing him or her that it is quite possible to live with Hod and stick to values.
The feeling of anxiety due to the difficulties of the future. The great majority of young people nowadays may be faced with this feeling for a number of reasons, among them:
Youth discover that these factors make their hopes and wide prospects difficult to attain. The result is that they are overcome by a feeling of despair and frustration. In fact, the children of God have strong confidence in His love and have moreover experienced it in their lives. Through their struggles and repentance, they have learnt to trust that Christ will manage all their affairs and tackle all their problems. He will face all difficulties with them, accompanying them throughout their lives. "He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" Rom 8: 32). All these factors and more work upon the psychologically and socially vulnerable. Those who are far from the church, those who desert life with Christ, with its repentance and struggle, are driven to a state of psychological disorder. This leads to deviation which, in turn, causes the following:
Spiritual Consequences Of Drug Addiction Some people may think that the effects of drug addiction are mostly physical, psychological and social ones. However, there are serious spiritual consequences of drug addiction. The following is a discussion of some of them:
How, then, can people give themselves over to this merciless master, and be able to follow christ after that? They have lost the freedom christ after that? They have lost the freedom of will granted to them by christ: "so if the Son shall set you free you chall be free indeed" (Jn 8: 36). Drug addiction drives young people to a series of sins When a youth is drawn into sin, it brings many troubles in its wake. In , most cases. The drug addict may not have enough money to buy the druf, so what can (s) he do? This person will restrain himself or herself once or twice. However, through drug addiction, (s) he has put himself or herself under the influence of a merciless master who will impose pressures beyond any imagination. What can young people then do to face these pressures?
What motivates a person to repent? Is it not the person's feeling of sin which has aroused the Lord's anger and his or her resolution to rise and return to God? But what if the person's will has been weakened and (s) he is obsessed by a feeling of defeat and loss? (s)he would have no other choice but to evade the issue of repentance. And postpone it. So it is difficult for am addict to lead the life of repentance for several reasons, including:
This is where it all leads. After the addict has lost everything: selfhood, energy, health, senses, family, relatives, community and country, (s) he would have to face the greatest unparalleled loss, namely the loss of the Kingdom of God and eternal crown. What can there possibly be to gain, once one has given up oneself to destruction and ruin? Isn't the truth plain for all to see? We pray that christ will have mercy on us and keep us from falling into bad company and becoming a prey to evil.
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