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“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age”
– Titus 2:11-12
– Titus 2:11-12
As the pipe
was passed around the room, he watched it and the reaction of those who were
drawing the opium deep into their lungs.
The pipe trailed a small thin line of smoke from the opening as the girl
next to him, with a glazed look in her eyes handed it to him. He lifted the pipe to his lips and took a
long drag. Closing his eyes he felt the
heat of the smoke in the back of his throat and then he felt his muscles relax. The drug entered into his blood stream and
began the trek to his brain. It was much
quicker than he expected it to be, and soon he felt his eyelids becoming heavy
and his vision becoming blurred. Lying
back against the pillows, he drifted off into a dream. Each night on his way home he would stop by this run down hotel, and step escape the problems of the day, if only for a moment. All the while his wife and children waited at the dinner table for him to walk through the door. His entry had become later and later as the addiction grew. His attitude had gone from a playful, loving father to a man irritated just to be at home with his family. He no longer had the desire to help out in the home or spend time with the children. He had evolved into an addict without even realizing it. Then the day came when he crossed the line, as most will at one point or another, and didn’t come home at all.
You see he had to have more and more freedom which was only found in the presence of the drug. He moved from smoking to injecting, to accelerate the rush. On this day he stepped across the threshold of the old hotel room and proceeded to participate in the activities. While he was doing so, the resident “pushers” took his car, his money and cards. In his stupor he didn’t even realize it. When it came time to pay up, he reached for his wallet and found it was gone, he went to get it from his car and the car was gone. He was surrounded by several large men, who wanted their money. They threatened his family, and showed him pictures of his wife and children as proof of their ability to succeed. They threatened him with their intent to expose his actions to his employer. They wanted the $200 he owed them for the activities that night, and he had no ability to pay. A compromise was struck for him to work off the debt by becoming a runner for their stuff. He spent the rest of the night at their beck and call, delivering packages all over the city. As the morning was breaking, he stepped up to one car to deliver an baggie, and as he reached to hand it to the individual, a handcuff slapped around his wrist and a badge was pushed into his face. That night, he spent on the cold hard steel cot of the county jail for trafficking in drugs and laundering money.
Life gets out of control quickly if we let it. This world is filled with temptations and promises for escape that will leave you very empty in the end. It requires discipline and strength to stand up for righteousness, for moral values and for the truth. Many people are seeking a way to break free from the day to day struggles and are turning to drugs and prostitution for that escape from reality. There is a feeling of unworthiness that comes upon individuals at times and blinds them from the promises of God the Father. His promise to protect us from harm, to calm our fears and to provide for our needs. His promise of salvation and redemption are there for all to partake in.
We are reminded through Paul’s writings that Jesus Christ died and rose again as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. We have all sinned and his blood is sufficient for each and every one of us. There is no distinction that says this sin is redeemable and this sin is not. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate you from the grace of God. I don’t care what you have done, His love is sufficient to wipe it clean. Your life is meaningful to Him and He has provided a means of redemption that cannot be found in any other religion or pleasure on this earth. He took your sins and placed them upon the cross which held His only Son. In doing so, he freed you from the bondage of this world, and offers a different choice of eternal life with Him.
This is the strength of the Lord that you need to call upon when you are tempted. This love, this grace and this redemption are provided to those who seek Him. I pray that you are able to break your addictions in this world and find the One who can wash them clean. Please leave a comment below or email me if you would like more information on how to take this step.
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