Addiction: is there a place in the church for those with addiction and how should individual believers deal with those that suffer from addiction?
If we are going to ask this question, it is implied that we ask; is there place in the church or the sinner? It is my belief that all should be welcomed into the family of the church. Did each believer wait until they had their life together before they joined the church? I have heard may say just that. They will make comments like; “I need to get my life straight before I come to Christ.” Jesus Christ addressed this very subject in Mark 2:17. For the sake of context, I am including verse 16 as well; “16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”[1]” So, Jesus makes it obviously clear that there is indeed a place in the church for those who suffer from addiction.
As individual believers, I think believers should deal with those with addictions just like we would deal with any other brother or sister in the church. We do not bring judgement, we bring love. We offer a helping hand but take care not to become an enabler. We give of our time, but we manage that time wisely. In many cases, the addict, just like all of us, just needs to feel like we belong. Addiction is real, but those who suffer, or who have suffered, should not be exiled to Patmos. No, Jesus says we are to come to Him. This translates to me as the church.
Also, how should the local church approach this subject?
I think the local church should first understand that the topic of addict, or addiction, is a very broad topic. When we hear addiction, we tend to go to the most common ideas the word conjures. We usually think about alcohol and drugs, but the list is much more extensive. There is gambling, sex, nicotine, and prescription drugs, just to name a few more. The website, centeronaddiction.org, defines addiction this way “Addiction is a complex disease, often chronic in nature, which affects the functioning of the brain and body. It also causes serious damage to families, relationships, schools, workplaces and neighborhoods. The most common symptoms of addiction are severe loss of control, continued use despite serious consequences, preoccupation with using, failed attempts to quit, tolerance and withdrawal. Addiction can be effectively prevented, treated and managed by healthcare professionals in combination with family or peer support.”
The church should only try to offer help in the area of
family and peer support. Unless the church has licensed counselors, who are
willing to offer the services, and the proper precautions are put into place,
the church should steer clear of the medical, or counseling, side of help. At
the very least, the local church should have a reliable list of places the
addict, who is looking for help from the church, can reach out to for
counseling or support groups. Perhaps the church could even have a team or
group in the church that is ready and willing to give of their time and love to
accompany those seeking help on their trips to these places that offer support.
[1] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mk 2:16–17.