How much is overcoming this addiction worth?

If you could pay money to overcome your addiction, how much would you pay? If you could overcome it by doing some difficult feat, would you do it? 
I am reminded of the story of Naaman in
2 Kings 5:9-14:

   
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.   So he turned and went away in a rage.

And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Are we like Naaman?  Are we willing to do "some great thing” to overcome this addiction, but what if we are only asked to:

  1. Attend Weekly Meetings 
  2. Share, and listen to the Spirit when others share
  3. Do the steps
  4. Read and answer questions in the guide book
  5. Be accountable daily to a support person

Do we say like Naaman, “That’s too simple.  That won’t work for me.  I need to do more than that.”
Perhaps not!


May dad used to tell the story of two farmers, Pete & Joe:

  
Pete:  Hey Joe, we are best friends aren't we?  And you would do anything for me, right?
Joe:    Pete, you know we are best friends and I would do anything for you!
Pete:  Joe if you had two mansions, would you give me one of them?
Joe:    Why Pete, if I had two mansions, you know I would give you one of them!
Pete:  Joe if you had two Cadillacs, would you give me one of them?
Joe:    Why Pete, if I had two Cadillacs, you know I would give you one of them!
Pete:  Joe if you had two pigs, would you give me one of them?
Joe:   Hell no! you know I have two pigs!

Are we, perhaps like Joe?  We are willing to do “some great thing” or give up “some great thing” to overcome this addiction.  But we rebel if the Spirit asks us to do something close to home, like give up a smart phone or a tablet or stop viewing YouTube or Facebook or some other activity.

So back to my initial question:  How much is overcoming this addiction worth?  And what are you actually willing to do?


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There are so many scriptural references like Naaman. The Israelites only had to look upon a brass serpent to be healed. That was too easy and it didn't make sense- how could looking at something be the anti-venom?

The gospel and the plan are simple (not necessarily easy). We tend to complicate things because we don't trust the Lord would make it that simple.