Addiction (with guest Caleb Jones) (E16/S2)

Caleb Jones from West Michigan Wellness joins us and talks about Addiction. He shares his personal sobriety story, things that helped him find recovery and some of the dynamics in facing and finding freedom from addiction.

Addiction is anything that you place as an idol above God.

Alcohol gave him an escape - a way to avoid facing/answering the question that faces every man, "Do I have what it takes?" After several years of his journey, thankfully during an onsite treatment God revealed to him that he did not need a substance to have a meaningful and full life. He is now three years sober and training to be a professional counselor.

Some things we discuss are: emotions, the brain, biblical allies, authentic allies, the Word of God and common factors that can impact one's addiction or addiction level.

Be encouraged that you are not alone, and God wants you to find healing. We pray something in Caleb's story will grab you and give you a foothold for you or to share with someone you care for. 

"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Do everything in love.."
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV

Transcript

Caleb Jones from West Michigan Wellness joins us and talks about Addiction. He shares his personal sobriety story, things that helped him find recovery and some of the dynamics in facing and finding freedom from addiction.

While at university, he first began to use alcohol. He had a strong faith family growing up, but was "lukewarm" in his commitment/trust of Christ, he did not have a firm foundation of who he was in Christ.  All he knew was that alcohol gave him a feeling that he liked, and he wanted more of that. Alcohol gave him an escape - a way to avoid facing/answering the question that faces every man, "Do I have what it takes?"

People close to him in his life began to notice something was affecting him and he sought help. Initially this help was with a group called Reformers Unanimous.  But at some point his marriage broke apart, and he again turned to alcohol for comfort. He can see now that he still was not strongly rooted in Christ.  This led to three years of being a functioning alcoholic.

By God's grace, his brother confronted him and said you have two paths (1) leads to death (2) leads to recovery, by submitting to getting help.  It was during this onsite recovery time that he reconnected with God and the Word of God.  Being in God's Word was the main way he found recovery.

Alcohol was a crutch. For him it was not something he needed every moment, but it was like a "trump card", something he carried around and he could "play it" when things got tough.  Thankfully during this treatment God revealed to him that he did not need a substance to have a meaningful and full life.  Again, God's Word was key in fighting off temptation.

Addiction is anything that you place as an idol above God.

Emotions: One of the factors in Caleb's, and others recovery is having a difficult time processing emotions. Drinking suppressed his emotions, this was kind of the goal, but it also did not allow him to be honest and take these emotions to God.

The Brain: A healthy brain rewards healthy behavior, releasing chemicals like dopamine.  But our brain also pushes us to react quickly when we perceive fear or alarm.  Drugs and alcohol can hijack our brain, making us feel anxious and then using these drugs to deal with these feelings.  The male brain is not fully developed until age 25.  Brains that have been trained one way can be healed or reshaped over time.

Biblical allies: Having a group of people around you that know the truth and live out the truth is incredibly beneficial. (but you generally need to seek them out and allow them to influence you). 

Authentic Relationships: We are blessed if we can be in close relationships where we can be honest and vulnerable to ask deep, meaningful questions of each other.  Show humility and confess sins one to another (James 5:16)

The Word of God - key for transformation:

• 2 Corinthians 10:5 ...take every thought captive...
• Romans 12:2 ...be transformed by the renewing of your mind...
• Philippians 4:6-8 ...do not be anxious about anything, set your mind on things above...
• 1 Corinthians 12:9-10 ...my (God's) grace is made perfect in weakness...
• Revelations 12:11 ...we overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony...
• Proverbs 27:12 ...iron sharpens iron...
• Hebrews 4:12-15  ...The Word of God is alive and active   ...  Jesus empathizes with our weakness... 

Common factors in addiction: genetics, environment, trauma, emotions, mental health, spiritual.

You can find Caleb at:
     https://westmichiganwellnessgroup.com/staff/caleb-jones/
     email: caleb.jones@cornerstone.edu

*Addiction and Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, Gerald May

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The purpose of our podcast is to help each other be better leaders, husbands and fathers for God's glory. Our discussions are based on elements from the Men's Ministry at Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. For more information about us, check our website and hillcrestcrc.org