Life beyond addiction - God's way
By Bill Schlipp
Key Principle
The things of the world may promise temporary satisfaction, but they ultimately lead to disappointment and emptiness. True fulfillment and eternal life come from recognizing our sin and need for God, seeking His kingdom and righteousness, and trusting in His promises (Matthew 6:33). As the Bible tells us, “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Transformation – not recovery
Many who come to Fertile Ground Ranch (FGR) struggle with addiction, so most who hear about us believe we are a typical addiction treatment facility. It takes a closer look to reveal how FGR is different and holds the key to relapse prevention.
Many such facilities have programs that use 12 steps and/or psychiatric and spiritual “principles” as a way to help people recover from the problematic effects of their “disease” of addiction. At FGR we address addiction as God addresses it in His Word – as sin. The world doesn’t acknowledge sin, calling it a “mistake” or a “slip up.” The world’s remedy for sin, then, is to pick oneself up and get over it. Yet, sin keeps us in bondage, and the only lasting remedy is Jesus Christ’s death on the cross that frees us from this bondage.
Finding the truth
I have come to know that a lack of truth is the greatest hinderance to change. If you don’t know the truth of your situation, or you aren’t willing to face it, you will never find the solution. Matthew 22:29 tells us, “You are deceived because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.” Clearly, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 informs us about that power saying, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” It is in light of these truths that FGR uses God’s Word as the solution that brings about lasting change for those who are in bondage to life-dominating sin.
The world has ideas about what success looks like for those who graduate from worldly recovery programs. These include one-day-at-a-time sobriety, aiming to keep addiction at bay, and enabling the addict to live a life that the world considers “normal.” FGR defines success from God’s perspective, incorporating scriptural truths such as receiving a new heart and the power of the Holy Spirit. This brings about transformed lives for people who can then act according to God’s good purposes. How does one achieve this at FGR? By learning to follow Christ as His disciple.
How to become a true disciple
To be truly able to follow Christ, disciples need to come to the realization that freedom from the bondage of sin is necessary. Bondage is the place where we find ourselves when we try to find satisfaction in created things rather than in the One who created us. We were created to seek and find satisfaction in a right relationship with God. But, for those who are unaware of this truth, their only option is to try to find satisfaction in the lesser and fallen things of this world. And, although the things of the world promise to help us experience joy and escape pain, the truth is that the promises are fleeting and temporary. World-centered promises cause us to seek harder and consume more until the pursuit becomes obsessive and life dominating. This can only leave us disillusioned, discouraged, hopeless and in despair, thinking we will never find the true satisfaction we so desperately need and want.
We believe that success occurs when the men who come to FGR understand the truth of their bondage. They become disciples who are convinced that freedom is found only in the Word, work, and person of Jesus Christ. Whether in bondage to mind-altering substances, money, power, pornography or earthy relationships, true deliverance and satisfaction can only be found in a right relationship with God through Christ. Just as Israel cried out to God to be rescued from their bondage in Egypt, God will do the same for those who look for deliverance in Him and in Christ alone.
Colossians 1:13-14 tells us, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” The world sees success for an addict as developing the self-discipline to give up an addictive substance. FGR sees success as a changed heart that loves God more than the things of the world. This is the enduring solution to addiction. It is transformation – not recovery – and the key to relapse prevention.
Photo by Ben Moreland on Unsplash.com
Key Principle
The things of the world may promise temporary satisfaction, but they ultimately lead to disappointment and emptiness. True fulfillment and eternal life come from recognizing our sin and need for God, seeking His kingdom and righteousness, and trusting in His promises (Matthew 6:33). As the Bible tells us, “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).
Transformation – not recovery
Many who come to Fertile Ground Ranch (FGR) struggle with addiction, so most who hear about us believe we are a typical addiction treatment facility. It takes a closer look to reveal how FGR is different and holds the key to relapse prevention.
Many such facilities have programs that use 12 steps and/or psychiatric and spiritual “principles” as a way to help people recover from the problematic effects of their “disease” of addiction. At FGR we address addiction as God addresses it in His Word – as sin. The world doesn’t acknowledge sin, calling it a “mistake” or a “slip up.” The world’s remedy for sin, then, is to pick oneself up and get over it. Yet, sin keeps us in bondage, and the only lasting remedy is Jesus Christ’s death on the cross that frees us from this bondage.
Finding the truth
I have come to know that a lack of truth is the greatest hinderance to change. If you don’t know the truth of your situation, or you aren’t willing to face it, you will never find the solution. Matthew 22:29 tells us, “You are deceived because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.” Clearly, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 informs us about that power saying, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” It is in light of these truths that FGR uses God’s Word as the solution that brings about lasting change for those who are in bondage to life-dominating sin.
The world has ideas about what success looks like for those who graduate from worldly recovery programs. These include one-day-at-a-time sobriety, aiming to keep addiction at bay, and enabling the addict to live a life that the world considers “normal.” FGR defines success from God’s perspective, incorporating scriptural truths such as receiving a new heart and the power of the Holy Spirit. This brings about transformed lives for people who can then act according to God’s good purposes. How does one achieve this at FGR? By learning to follow Christ as His disciple.
How to become a true disciple
To be truly able to follow Christ, disciples need to come to the realization that freedom from the bondage of sin is necessary. Bondage is the place where we find ourselves when we try to find satisfaction in created things rather than in the One who created us. We were created to seek and find satisfaction in a right relationship with God. But, for those who are unaware of this truth, their only option is to try to find satisfaction in the lesser and fallen things of this world. And, although the things of the world promise to help us experience joy and escape pain, the truth is that the promises are fleeting and temporary. World-centered promises cause us to seek harder and consume more until the pursuit becomes obsessive and life dominating. This can only leave us disillusioned, discouraged, hopeless and in despair, thinking we will never find the true satisfaction we so desperately need and want.
We believe that success occurs when the men who come to FGR understand the truth of their bondage. They become disciples who are convinced that freedom is found only in the Word, work, and person of Jesus Christ. Whether in bondage to mind-altering substances, money, power, pornography or earthy relationships, true deliverance and satisfaction can only be found in a right relationship with God through Christ. Just as Israel cried out to God to be rescued from their bondage in Egypt, God will do the same for those who look for deliverance in Him and in Christ alone.
Colossians 1:13-14 tells us, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” The world sees success for an addict as developing the self-discipline to give up an addictive substance. FGR sees success as a changed heart that loves God more than the things of the world. This is the enduring solution to addiction. It is transformation – not recovery – and the key to relapse prevention.
Photo by Ben Moreland on Unsplash.com
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