Substance abuse can get to the point where you need it to wake up and to go sleep.   For instance, you might even have to drink coffee or smoke tobacco just to go to bed pleasurably.  This seems ironic because you think those things are not downers, and they aren’t, but you might find at that point you need them to sleep.

But anyway, I hate that substance abuse can get to that point.  Is it possible thru God’s spirit to find an alternative?

John 4:14

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

Water is generally something people need to live and even if people don’t like water, they have to be getting it other ways or they would die.

Well, Jesus like to use bread and water as symbols representing stuff that keeps true followers going, one aspect of that being the comfort they feel.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

 

Well, the Bible is actually neither one.  This is a statement that would disappoint many.  However, just look at the verses where just victimization is condemned, while other ones condemn lack of personal responsibility.

Anyway, politics in the US has become incredibly polarized between groups that are into extreme victimization or extreme personal-responsibility-shaming.

Proverbs 14:31

He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

Proverbs 17:5

He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker.
He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

Galatians 6:5 –

 For each one should carry their own load.

2 Thessalonians 3:10

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

Luke 15:11-32

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to^[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’^[b] 22 But the father said to his servants,^[c] ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ²³ And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. ²⁴ For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, ²⁹ but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ ³¹ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Everyone is seeking a better life.  For instance, the internet is filled with “Get Rich Quick” plans or even “Slowly Get Rich Plans”, but even some don’t want that, maybe they want The American Dream, some satisfying mate, but whatever life it is, there isn’t God in it.

But is the life without God something you don’t need insurance for?  Well, in the case of The Prodigal Son, any insurance company would highly regret have given him a policy.   His chosen life totally went wrong, in fact, he was completely lied to by his own mind.

But how do we know that we are being lied to by our mind?   Well, that’s the classic definition of idolatry as we create idols in our mind, and our lips never mention God, unless God is satisfying what we want (delusion), not really what God wants.

Matthew 7:7-8

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

The key to learning many things is to push at it.  For instance, if you want some skill, it’s not enough to read about it, but it requires hands-on work.

Anyway, Me and others are not totally sure why God forces people to do actions to get miracles and many other things, but we can understand to some extent.

How serious is the battle?  Well, the verses speak for themselves.  In fact, Jesus taught the ideal is to for the extreme.

Luke 9:57-62

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 14:25-35

²⁵ And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

²⁶ If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

²⁹ Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

³⁰ Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

³⁵ It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Could it be by simply saying things into existence, or is it something different or something more than that?   Well, the key to a lot of prosperity in life is self-control and staying on top of things.  Definitely, the abundant life, if practiced, would give someone an advantage in that.

Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

There’s a lot of talk these days about bullying, depression, all sorts of things, but the answers given to solve them seem to ignore the root cause: a weak individual.   I mean, is anyone considering ways to become stronger on the inside, and how do you do that?   Well, the Bible tells people to seek God as source of strength.

But not everyone can easily find God.   That’s the sad part.  People grow up in broken homes, with bad role models etc., so how can those people be reached?

Matthew 10:28

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

People just aren’t very tough these days.  I mean, it’s not going to hurt grown children to let them experience being homeless, and if they got a car, they got it even easier.

Well, at some point, grown kids gotta leave, so why not at 18?  And you can warn them about it, so they won’t become homeless, but how can you just keep enabling dependence when they didn’t listen to your warning?

Anyway, grown kids being at home isn’t a good thing for an individual because it stunts emotional growth.  And as the Bible verse above says, people can rise above fear of very uncomfortable situations.

Matthew 25:10-12

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

Sometimes hard truths are hard to accept.  For instance, some people abuse their health for years and years, and then they are shocked when their health suddenly declines drastically.

And in other instances, you could bring up examples of parents ignoring children, husbands abusing wives (and visa-versa) and so on and on.

But ultimately, there is “cause and effect”.   Many just aren’t getting away with stuff in the end.   What else can be said?  Is it cruel to say this.  It reminds me of children’s movie “Willy Wonka”.  Over and over, one kid after another falls down the tubes for their own shortcomings and Wonka doesn’t care.  Well, when I was that age, I found the movie scary because I was shocked at his attitude.

But is there hope?  Well, there’s always hope with God in all situations and people can turn things around months and years before bad consequences happen.