Page 18 - church magazine 2018
P. 18

Addiction




                                                      of  heart?












                                          Most people can describe at         most people would stay far

                                          least one instance of how           away from this heart-alter-
                                          alcohol and drugaddiction           ing substance. God warns us
                                          has had a negative impact           because we cannot outsmart
                                          on their own lives or the lives     addiction. It will change
                                          of people they love. Children       our hearts! God designed the
                                          today, regardless of age or         heart, therefore He knows far

                                          ethnicity, grow up in a soci-       above what doctors, psychia-
                                          ety where access to drugs and  trist, substance abuse coun-
     Memory Column                        alcohol is extremely easy.          selors and the media know

                                          Parents who misuse alcohol          about the damage that hap-
                                          and drugs also influence how        pens to an addicted heart.
                                          their children perceive and
  .
                                          understand the use of alco-

                                          hol and drugs. At a Christian
                                          ministry conference recently,
                                          participants were asked to
                                          share how drugs and alcohol
                                          had personally affected their

                                          lives or the lives of people
                                          they know. Nearly every-
                                          one in attendance shared
                                          stories about their sons
                                          and daughters, aunts and
                                          uncles,mothers and fathers,
                                          and grandparents whose lives

                                          were negatively in-posted by
                                          addiction. If a person could
                                          foresee the unnatural change
                                          that takes place in their
                                          heart before substance abuse,


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   church magazine 2018 .indd   18-19                                                                                                                                                                                              20.01.2018   02:50:24
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