What God has to say
We have explored how substance-abuse disrupts the brain’s biochemical function, which then kills a person’s dreams; But now we need to consider what God has to say. This article would not be complete nor credible if I did not take this into account. In the end, he is the one who gives us strength to overcome any form of affliction over our lives. And so, what he says is crucial to note.
Alert and sober
Intoxication from substances takes away alertness which is crucial for identifying opportunities. They also take away self-control. Losing self-control means that you lose will over your own actions. Therefore, you make poor decisions that take you further, and further away from your purpose in life.
1 Peter 5:8 says, ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ Therefore, without being alert and without self-control, the devil will just walk into your life and steal all your dreams. It will be many years later, when you turn and notice that you have stagnated.
Awake and sober
1 Thessalonians 5:5 says, ‘You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.’ People who have recovered from substance abuse will tell you that that is a very dark place. This is because that is what happens. Substance abuse keeps you in a very dark place. However, when you are sober, you feel bright, and awake. This is according to 1 Thessalonians 5:6: “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.’ This passage is asking us to choose being sober because that makes our world much brighter.
Substance abuse literally keeps a person always asleep/passed out. How can we work towards achieving our dreams if we are asleep all the time? Back to biochemistry, substance abuse exhausts our brain’s capacity to function optimally. Literally explaining why, we go into a dark place when we abuse substances. Well, that is because the dopamine that was meant to make us feel bright, and great about our prospects, is exhausted. And the glutamate that was meant to help us see possibilities, is blinded.
Stuck in cycles
When our bodies and minds are always exhausted due to substance abuse, we do not have any interest in pursuing anything worthwhile. This keeps us in cycles because we are only left craving the easier stimulation by those very substances keeping us asleep. God indicates how these cycles occur. See here:
Proverbs 23:31: says, Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!” Drugs and alcohol give us a wonderful feeling. It is that release of dopamine. However, it only feels nice for the moment. 32 goes on to say, ‘In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.”‘ Once that is that we are left feeling terrible. When it has gotten to the stage of addiction, it means we are feeling terrible all the time. Too poisoned to gather enough strength to pursue our goals. 34 reemphasizes that substance abuse keeps us asleep due to intoxication. While 35 goes to close the loop by explaining that even when we feel the harsh punishment of substance abuse, we will stay in these cycles.
Breaking free from cycles: There is hope
Am I here to only tell of what destroys dreams? No! For if I was, I would be cheating those impacted of having hope in recovery. So many things push people to find themselves in the throes of substance abuse. It is not like there are certain people who are meant for it, and those who are not. In the end, we all want to arrive somewhere desirable in our lives. If substance abuse is standing in the way, and we believe we have no strength to get there as it so happens to be the case when one is struggling with this situation. 2 Timothy 1:7: says, ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’ Let this give us faith that we have the power to overcome when we struggle with substance abuse or any other form of addiction. Therefore, it is not all hopeless. There is a way to overcome. See how God addresses this here:
When we do away with substance abuse, and seek a relationship with God; We become free, and our minds are clear to see where we are headed in life. The path to our purpose is visible. Therefore, walking in His understanding will attract success, which blesses the next generations to come.
An example of how a life directed by God forms a relationship with him, which will transcend generations is apparent when Paul wrote a letter to Timothy. On 2 Timothy 1:5, he said, ‘I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. This tells us that the spirit of God will bless the next generation when we choose to seek direction from the holy spirit. This direction will help us to achieve our dreams based on God’s purpose for our lives.
Breaking free from cycles: Will power!
Anything worth doing often requires willpower, faith, and putting your trust in God’s hands. See how He addresses this here:
1 Corinthians 6:12: “I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” This verse is self-explanatory. However, I want to take note of the end there. Not being mastered by anything is a powerful knowledge to have because it means that we have the right and the freedom to abuse substances, but we refuse to be mastered. This is good to know if a person is struggling with self-control. To know that we have the power to control our impulses and refuse to drown in addiction. To further drive confidence in the hope of recovery, and victory over this, it is good to also find strength in Philippians 4:13: which says, ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength.‘
Now what?
I have argued and shown what kills dreams. Gave the biochemical perspective, and now the biblical perspective. What is someone to do with this information? How is it supposed to help. Well, to anyone that may struggle with this affliction, the only thing I know to be true is that when we talk to God, ask for strength, and truly bring ourselves closer to him, he will say something back, strengthen us, and bring himself closer to us as well. Therefore, we will be able to overcome. It is not easy, but believe that it is possible, for it is! And for anyone whose life has been afflicted due to substance abuse, the best way to overcome, and find progress, is by seeking His worth in their life.
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