Blessing of Belonging: Navigating Chemical Dependency and Connection with God
Every human has been created with the innate desire to be seen and known, but invisibility often seems easier in light of our unique challenges with the sin and weights that have burdened us. We retreat, hiding parts of ourselves, our history, and the testimony that the Lord is building within. Being a maverick or a loner doesn’t demand the engagement and intimacy that comes through a raw relationship, but rather intensifies isolation and separates us from the help and strength that multiplies in healthy relationships. While we might want to shield ourselves from vulnerability, God created us for community with Him and each other. Regardless of our struggle, whether dependence on a chemical substance or another form of addiction, the benefit of being known also comes with risk. In the space where we want to connect, transparency makes us vulnerable. That doesn’t mean that we run from community, however. We have to allow for authenticity that invites meaningful connection and forges a foundation for life-giving relationships. Jesus is the head of one Church, one Body; we are the many parts who receive grace to grow, as we learn and live together (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27). It’s through the working of the Spirit that our lives teach and testify to one another, and ultimately, the world, of the Father’s goodness. Prodigals and pigpens and chemical dependency We may have wandered as prodigals into the pigpens where chemical dependency produced behaviors we never thought we’d see in ourselves. Yet, we don’t have to rehearse these stories. We can trade the shame for the enduring testimony and the robe of righteousness, ring of authority, and shoes of peace that our Father wants to give us. No drug or high can deeply satisfy our innate needs of being seen, known, and loved. Instead, [...]
