USA (MNN) — Drinking or smoking less is a common New Year’s resolution. But did you know that nearly half – approximately 43 percent of people – give up on their goals before the end of January?
Resolve isn’t enough to stop an addictive habit. “Addiction is an outflow of a selfish heart,” The Lighthouse’s Brandon Bower says.
“We’re not denying that there are chemical aspects, but if we want to get to the root of addiction behavior, we have to go back to Scripture. We’ve got to look at how the heart is affected by sin.”
Listen to the full conversation here.
A 30-day reset: “It’s them and God”
The Lighthouse offers a 30-day biblical residential program for men who struggle with life-altering addictions. More about that here.
(Photo courtesy Bermix Studio/Unsplash)
The program begins with a reset. “They’re not leaving, they’re not working, they’re not talking on the phone. It’s them and God and their heart issues around addiction,” Bower says.
“We talk about repentance and worshiping God, putting off the old patterns of behavior and putting on new patterns. All of those are scriptural priorities that we’re starting to teach them.”
Hope rises as participants study God’s Word. Instead of a despondent life sentence, men find practical solutions.
“There’s this indoctrination of our community – ‘Addiction’s a disease; you can’t get help,’ ‘You’re going to be an addict all your life’ – but as people start to see their sinfulness before a holy God, they start to see that maybe what they’ve been taught is different,” Bower says.
“Addiction, from a biblical perspective, is just misplaced worship. We’re seeking pleasure through drugs and alcohol and other addictive behaviors, rather than finding our comfort and identity in Jesus Christ.”
Help for someone you love
Connect with The Lighthouse here if someone you love struggles with a life-altering addiction.
“We would love to talk to anyone interested in learning how to help someone overcome addiction from a biblical perspective,” Bower says.
“We take men from all over the United States. We want them to find healing and help here at The Lighthouse. It’s really about helping people reconnect with Jesus and realign their hearts to Christ.”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Karyna Panchenko/Unsplash.
