Addiction is an ugly word—or at least it used to be. Now it means you’re sick, as if you can catch an addiction like you do the common cold or flu. There are drug addicts and alcoholics, kleptomaniacs and compulsive liars, gamblers, wife-beaters, and vegetarians. I for one am unable to quit biting my fingernails, but that is another story.
Luckily, compulsive cheating on your taxes is no longer considered an addiction, at least not for the Chosen One’s inner sanctum of Democrat nominees. They have redefined “tax evasion,” into simple “heroism.” They were so busy flying around the world in their private jets saving the ozone layer from SUV’s, giving a helping hand to illegal aliens as they climbed over the border, and painting stripes on donkeys so zebras don’t go extinct, that they simply forgot to pay their taxes. It was an innocent mistake. Anyone could have done it. Actually—all of them have done it. But that’s no reason to exclude them from serving the nation and being an example to us all.
There is a drug often used to treat alcoholics and drug addicts. Apparently it lessons the desire to continue self-destructive behavior long enough to dry out or come down or whatever they do. Researchers decided to try it out on kleptomaniacs and it seems to have curbed their desire to steal Walmart blind. Which is definitely a good thing.
But where do we draw the line? Are we going to drug up everyone that breaks the law instead of prosecuting criminals? When a traffic cop stops some guy for speeding, will he be able to ticket him or just send him to rehab for a government-assisted program that includes drugs for curbing the need for speed?
Every compulsive behavior, habit, or addiction begins with a choice to do it the first time. How many times does it take to become an addict? The world may never know the answer to that, or—how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop.
Washington state officials have uncovered an underground addiction that until now no one knew existed. The state recently banned the use of dishwasher soaps that were not approved “green” enough. Housewives began sneaking across state lines to purchase non-green dish cleaners. Their excuse? The green soap didn’t cut grease or take off baked-on foods well enough. I think the manager of an Idaho Walmart was heard to say, “I see a lot of women from Spokane in here. I don’t want to stereotype, but dishwasher soap is disappearing from shelves faster than beer at an Irish wedding. The women of Washington have a serious problem.”
Actually, I think we have a serious problem all over the country and around the world. We all have our little addictions. Food, drugs, alcohol, adultery, lying, stealing, killing. The list goes on and on.
Society has slowly gone from black and white, good and bad, right and wrong, to shades of grey. It didn’t happen over night. The things that once shook us up and scared us straight, no longer wield the same power over us. We see through the murky eyes of a sinful world. A world that refuses to believe in a righteous God who sets the standard, but rather in their own innate sense of goodness. Which brings the bar waaaayy down so no one feels bad. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves. The guilt would overwhelm us, and we might come to the realization that we can’t save ourselves.
We need a Savior.
Jesus Christ comes to mind.
Some people try to package Him into a little magic pill, but Christ is no quick fix. He’s a lifetime commitment. The God of true hope and change. The Redeemer of addicts & slaves to sin.
ET says
And it’s not just at the point of our salvation that we need this Savior, we need Him every day that we hope to win the war over sin (you know, all those addictions that even Christians still battle?!)
Seating at the foot of the cross is for ALL of us.