SESSION 3 -

THE CYCLE OF ADDICTION

REVIEW

Both these two truths affect me and my behaviour.

I am designed to discern my significance by reflection and based on that knowledge I would build a picture of who I am, what I am worth.

I was designed to be in relationship with God and find my value in Him and what He as my Father feels and says about me.

Satan has deceived us by contradicting what God says and it is hard for us any more recognise the truth about ourselves.

We will not find our significance until we re-discover the Word of God and believe it for ourselves.

However the fall has introduced guilt and Satan has convinced us of shame.

Therefore we run from God out of fear and we stay away and deny God out of a coping method of denial.

Because our basic being is unchanged we still have 3 basic needs:

Thus we still search for the fulfilment of these three so we look in places other than God (reflection).

We try to find our significance in

But these are traps. We are shackled into conditioned acceptance, ie:

If we operate this way, then our significance is not determined by our reflection in God. Rather, it is determined by others who are just as broken, messed-up and confused as we are. What a destructive trap!

A girl who comes from a poor home. She seeks acceptance and love from a boy who must meet all her needs unconditionally. Unless he is perfect, he will fail, be less of a partner and ultimately not help this girl discover her significance.

TONIGHT

We look at how this need we have as a result of the fall drives us into a cycle of addiction.

Our Creation established in us a variety of spiritual needs and functional realities, the fall has left us spiritually wounded and functioning in the dark. Many of the behaviour patterns we grapple with in life emanate from our spiritual need. Tragically it is common for people to be completely unaware of the realm of the spirit and perceive all needs as being in the natural realm. The cycle of addiction clearly demonstrates the operation of these forces.

In western civilisation, men and women don’t recognise or acknowledge the realm of the spirit.

They practice all needs as material and seek to find solutions that hook them.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CYCLE OF ADDICTION?

As we have previously discussed, the human heart was created for a relationship with God and be in peace. But the fall caused a severances and separation. Subsequently, The heart is now in a darkened state, fallen. It becomes sensitive to the negative. It feels naked, exposed. It is sensitive to the negative reflections which come in life (usually about performance and approval).

These provoke the shame that is already there.

We were not created for shame (I am broken, defective, can’t be fixed). This leads to hurt, pain, anguish, stress. The experiences we feel lead us to feel not quite right which emanates from a heart that is not at peace. As a result, at various times during life we stumble on experiences or discoveries that take the pain away:

These are analgesics - things that reduce the pain and make me feel better (not make me better). May be legal or illegal. These make me feel on the inside like everything is OK.

These do provide a benefit - but it is only momentary, temporary, and relief is brief. Before too long we find the effects wear off and the solution is inadequate. The pain returns - and the shame, but with a little more.

You see we thought we’d be better, healed, cured and we failed. Our shame increases. And if our analgesic happened to cause us to feel embarrassed or ashamed, (eg drunken behaviour, illegal drugs, sexual experience with the wrong person etc) then our shame goes even higher. Our pain returns, a little more than before, as does frustration, despair. We need another analgesic, only this time a bit more, a bit stronger.

(if pain persists - see a doctor)

Our pain persists, but we don’t seek the Great Physician - we take more aspirin. You have come to seek the Doctor’s advice. Are you trying to get something out of ________ that it was never intended to provide, eg:

This is trying to get our sense of value from sources other than God and reflection. Drug addiction is a classic example.

One way to check if a cycle of addiction is there is to stop the behaviour. Stop taking the analgesic:

But is this really the answer??

If the reaction is anger, darkness, eruption, the cycle is probably there.

 

A BIBLICAL EXAMPLE - John 4:7-42 (please read this passage)

This woman’s cycle of addiction involved sexual analgesics.

Jesus was a master of looking at a person’s heart. She directed to her outside condition (physical thirst) but Jesus saw her inside condition He saw her cycle of addiction.

What would you do if God sat down on a bus seat next to you?

Jesus called her thirsty (seeking for significance) and not names that identified performance or approval (eg slut, loose)

She doesn’t understand Jesus and always interprets in natural terms. He speaks of her real condition (hurt, alone, need for acceptance, belonging, value) and she translates it in terms of water.

Jesus replies that trying to meet needs materially would be temporary but to have your needs met in God would provide an inner spring for ever.

Jesus hones in on her addiction she answers - but lies.

Jesus could have nailed her. He knows she fears God and He needs to re-connect her to Father.

Woman you’re hungry for affection. Why?

How have you tried to meet that need?

Does it work?

Australians seek to meet their needs in salary, holidays, accomplishment.

Australians need to realise the real need (God evangelism).

When Jesus connected with the woman finally, she not only was transformed but brought many others to find recovery too.

 

PROCESS OF HEALING:

1. Honesty

Look honestly at what drives you, the things you give your time and money to.
Look at your motives , eg
 
2. Affirming Relationship
Goal of groups and Recovery Ministries.
We try to provide dignity and encouragement.
We try to create an atmosphere of safety and acceptance.
 
3. Right Thinking
In our infancy, childhood we learned certain things.
We assume now that what is in our ‘software package’ is right, never questioning.
The program in our brain runs on and we live with an acceptance.
Then we are confronted with the Bible and what God thinks. This may (often does) cause confusion.
We need to be prepared to re-learn - even prepared to question ‘sacred beliefs’.
 
4. Holy Spirit
Sometime there are things about us that we are not aware of.
We may have hidden things for so long that even we have forgotten.
Sometimes others see things which we can’t see ourselves.
Sometimes there are things we see, but no-one else does and we want to stay.
We need God to help us to be true and to reveal what we either don’t know or are denying.
 
5. Time
Give yourself a break.
God rebuilds step-by-step.
Be patient.
Don’t get discouraged.
Keep moving ahead.