When Rachel and I lived in Kentucky, there was an elderly widow in the congregation named Virginia. She has passed away now. But she lived alone and she was very independent. One day she was out mowing her yard on a riding lawn mower and the mower got stuck. So, she proceeded to push the lawn mower out of the ditch! At 88 years old! And she cracked some vertebrae in her spine. That, of course, caused pain. It wasn’t but a few months after that when she was doing something and broke a bone in her shoulder, her clavicle or something (I don’t remember).
Rachel and I were visiting with her and she was complaining about her pain and I just happened to ask her if she was taking her pain medicine. She said, “no.” I said, “why not!?” She said, “I don’t want to get addicted.” I said, “Virginia! You are 88 years old, who cares if you get addicted!”
Well, I was just being funny, but Virginia was concerned about getting addicted and the biggest danger with this type of chemical addiction, is that when something we take affects our minds, then it puts us in a dangerous position when Jesus comes back.
HE IS COMING UNEXPECTEDLY:
Jesus is coming back unexpectedly. He will catch every living person by surprise. That’s why it is imperative that we keep control of our minds as much as possible, even when we are under supervision of a doctor with medications.
MARIJUANA:
What I understand is that the primary mind-altering drug in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or “THC” for short. Just like when we discussed the difference between wine / alcohol in biblical times versus the alcohol content today… the amount of THC in marijuana in the 1980s was 4%. Ten years ago, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said that confiscated marijuana now has THC levels that average about 15%. The potent mind-altering drug in marijuana has quadrupled in thirty years. In some of that tested, THC has been as high as 30%.
JESUS WARNS US TO KEEP CONTROL OF OUR MINDS – Luke 21:34-36:
In this context, Jesus is discussing the destruction of the world (ver. 35). So Jesus says, “be on your guard.” Jesus warns that our hearts (our “minds”) should not be weighted down with “dissipation” – that’s a loss of energy, a loss of concentration, a loss of focus. In other words, if you are under the influence of marijuana or some other drug, opioids or whatever, and you have lost concentration on glorifying Christ in your thoughts and heart and your actions, then you have sinned against Jesus and you are not ready for heaven!
The bottom line is that addiction has serious negative repercussions. They affect your physical health, your mental health, your financial health, your self-image and your self-esteem, but mostly, it affects your relationship with God. It is for that reason that addictions have to be avoided. But if we find ourselves trapped, we need to back out of it, stop it, and start avoiding those people, places, or atmospheres that contribute to the addiction.
Don’t get addicted to this world; become addicted to Christ and let His life fill your life with joy and happiness.
Paul Holland
