A young person is introduced to a “recreational drug” in high school. He ingests the drug, gets a good feeling and nothing bad happens. He comes to believe after several recreational use sessions that the drug is not harmful and he can control it. Then, he is introduced to harder drugs, such as crack cocaine or ecstasy. Still, nothing bad happens, so his belief that he is in control strengthens. Eventually, his need for drugs escalates and he suddenly discovers he needs more money to keep buying the drugs that help him function. He breaks into a home and steals computers, firearms and stereo equipment to sell and finance his drug habit. He gets caught. He stands trial. He is sentenced to five years in a penitentiary and he is only eighteen years old.
This is a true story about a young man my wife and I have known since he was fourteen years old. It all resulted from his believing several lies and that allowed him to surrender to an overpowering compulsion to take drugs because they made him feel good. He believed he was in control; he believed drugs were not harmful and he did not believe warnings about drugs applied to him.
For a number of years I conducted weekly substance abuse meetings at a prison. A thousand men were incarcerated there and all had similar stories to share about how they wound up in jail. They all believed lies that led them to tragedy and incarceration. Sadly, upon release, 75% of them return to prison within four years. I believe the 25% who do not return find ways to alter their Body of Truth and let go of the lies that got them jailed the first time. Those who can’t or won’t identify the lies they believe to be true, just keep on doing the same things over and over again expecting different results. Some say this is a definition of insanity. I’ll grant that it appears to be insane, but it’s really just the inevitable result of hanging on to lies that are not true, and allowing them to continue to control our thinking, our choices and our behavior.
The truth is found in Jesus Christ, yet so many do not want to look for Him.
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