Substance Abuse Will Reduce the Number of Days God Can Do Good Things Through You

Ephesians 5:18, Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:20,21,29-32

Substance abuse can steal your life and disrupt God's purposes for your life

Soul Food

Ephesians 5:18 (NLT)

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Proverbs 20:1 (NLT)

“Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.”

Proverbs 23:19-21, 29-32 (NLT)

“My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.

Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks.

Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;

it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”

Soul Search

• Do you drink alcohol?
  Do you drink in moderation or does it get away from you sometimes resulting in you becoming drunk?
  What happens when you have had too much to drink?

• Do you take drugs or do you participate in anything that takes control of you so that you’re no longer capable of making wise and sound decisions?

• Can you think of anything that controls you or that you can’t stop thinking about?
  Anything that you obsess over and that holds some power over you?
  Can you share about it?

• Do any of the things that control you and that you sometimes feel powerless to stand up against have a negative impact on your relationships?
  What affect do those things have on your relationships?

Soul Moves

• Admit to God (through prayer talking to Him) that you have lost control.
  That takes some humility which means a surrendering of the pride that causes you to think you’re in control when you’re not.

• Confide in and confess to someone you trust and who you believe really cares about you that you’re out of control and need help.
  Avoid minimizing the seriousness of your problem.

• Ask God and those closest to you to show you the best steps possible to get you the help you need.
  Don’t assume or think that you know what is best.
  Listen to wise counsel coming from people who care about you and want the best for you. 

• Let God and the people who love you take some control to get you the help you need.
  God wants you to live and thrive and to be a blessing to people in your life.
  He doesn’t want anything or anyone to have destructive control in your life to the point that your relationships suffer.