Worse than that, it seems to be a domino affect in
which all of the players simply choose to lay their lives down rather than do
what it takes to save their own lives, and the lives of their friends, to
maintain their salvation and integrity. People that we deeply love, die.
1 Pet 5:8: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your
adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour.”
When someone has severe allergic reactions to peanuts,
they must do whatever it takes not to inhale or ingest even a minute part of the
peanut for the rest of their lives. If they are exposed to peanuts in any way
shape or form, it can be life threatening to them. It isn’t a matter of likes
or dislikes, it is a matter of life and death to them. If you have ever seen someone
lapse into anaphylactic shock, it is horrific.
Once they have been diagnosed, they live their lives around
the fact that they have a peanut allergy. Because peanuts are everywhere, people
who are allergic know that they must alter their lives accordingly. They must
be aware of the various triggers or catalysts that can take their life, quite
literally, at any given moment.
Triggers are the catalyst to life or death in this
situation. A catalyst is defined as “A substance that causes a chemical reaction
to happen more quickly” or “A person or event that quickly causes change or
action.” You see, a trigger or catalyst can be a substance or a person... and
often is exactly that.
If you have a peanut allergy, you don’t ingest
peanuts. But further, you avoid peanut farms, any place that prepares food with
peanuts or near peanuts. You do whatever it takes to avoid dying. Furthermore,
there is no shame in telling people that you are allergic to nuts. People
around you understand this, and it is quite simple to keep peanuts out of the ‘mix’
when associating. (Okay, tiny pun.) Most people understand it is a matter of
life and death.
I recall years ago, when we were hiking with a few of
our grandkids and our Chihuahuas over a rocky hill at Girl Scout Mountain. Trinity
and I lagged behind, while Tom, Rikayla and Michael were ahead of us with the
dogs. They made it to the top, but just then, Africanized bees attacked Tom and
the kids. He grabbed the kids one by one and ushered them down the hill calling
at us not to come up and to get back down. At the same time, he called our dogs
to follow him but one of them was too scared to move or had trouble. He went in
after her again and received dozens more stings for his trouble. But he brought
them all to safety. Unfortunately, we discovered he might have been allergic
because his face, ears and body were so swollen that you wouldn’t even
recognize him. He was in agony. If he had had a worse allergy, he could have
died. Guess what? Given the chance of running into those hostile bees again, we
avoided the area. In fact, one might say avoiding bees in general would be
wise. Common sense, right?
Most people with allergies have common sense about it.
So do the people who love them and don’t want them to die. People with allergies
learn to adjust their lives around the fact that they are not healthy and must
avoid triggers. It is simply necessary to change the way they live, to live
longer.
Alcoholics know that they not only have to avoid bars,
but they end up having to avoid friends who love bars. They understand what
their triggers are and have discovered that they have to avoid friends who host
get togethers with drinking, smoking and/or drugs. For many alcoholics, when
they just smell a cigarette, it makes them want a drink. It is a trigger’ a
catalyst if you will. Some people have family who revolve every family event
around having a few brews. For this reason, even a person’s closest family and
friends become toxic for them. It isn’t a simple matter of preference here,
people. It is life and death.
So many people have trouble understanding how severe
the alcoholic’s desire to imbibe is and they say things such as “Please come.
You don’t have to drink just because we do. Come on! It will be fun.” And, to
avoid seeming weak, or to avoid offending those that they love, the alcoholic
may agree to come. They literally put themselves in harm’s way and risk losing all
that ground that they gained, rather than having to explain.
Unfortunately, and we know this firsthand, many people,
rather than NOT have alcohol, drugs or smoking present, just expect the
alcoholic to be in a sea of temptation and not partake. I would never say that people
are intentionally trying to cause the person to stumble and possibly die from
their ‘allergy.’ However, people are simply and truly ignorant to the hard core
pull of alcohol and drugs to the addict, especially to the triggers that make
them want to partake. Even a party by itself can feel foreign to them without
alcohol or drugs.
Common sense dictates that EVERY former alcoholic or
addict MUST live their lives as if they are allergic to it, or anything
associated with it, to save their own lives. And yet, as is the case with too
many, they clumsily, or maybe even on purpose, expose themselves to the allergen
or the peanut pusher, so to speak, as if they have nine lives.
Please know that many a recovering addict and
alcoholic have died because they failed to protect themselves from the catalyst
that would send them back down the path to utter destruction and death. I am a
firm believer that satan rules the world of substance abuse with the sole
purpose of destroying your life and holding you all in chains. It seems he has
mastered the art of creating idols for you to worship but even more, of causing
good believers to be sucked back into it by using situations, family, and
friends to tempt you back in.
Mat 26:41: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Rather than continue with devotions, networking with
healthy friends and family, finding healthy activities to distract you, you
have been drawn back in like a dog to its own vomit.
2 Pet 2:20-22:
“For if, after they have escaped
the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has
become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them
never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back
from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has
happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing
herself, returns to wallow in the mire.””
You are someone with a severe allergy. If it helps,
think of it like a peanut allergy. As such, you must live your life
accordingly. What are your triggers? Who are your catalysts? What situations make
it harder to avoid? Who do you want to impress to the point of not admitting
that you have a problem?
1 Cor 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not
common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your
ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that
you may be able to endure it.”
Staying alive means having the strength to say no and
turn away from even your closest friends and family to save your life. (Whether
they fail to understand out of ignorance or simply refuse to alter their lives to
save yours.) Put it this way, if it were a peanut allergy, would you go on a
tour of the peanut farm with your friends? Would you sample the peanut brittle
knowing that you will die?
Jam 1:12-16: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast
under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life,
which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is
tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and
he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and
enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to
sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my
beloved brothers.”
Furthermore, what kind of friend or family can they be
if they entice you to partake in nuts knowing that you already almost died from
it? Do you WANT to associate with people who put partying over your health or
life? Unfortunately, the catalyst is often is someone you love dearly… but is
that moment worth dying for? That person or substance is the catalyst for quick
change and possibly death.
Jam 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he will flee from you.”
God gave you the tools to win over temptation and to
live a free and healthy life. Yes, you are free in Christ and yet you choose to
be in bondage to the evil one. When you turn from God and seek your idol, your
drug or alcohol, the thing that you worship, you essentially are choosing to become
a sickly, craving, sin ridden minion to the evil one.
As family or friends of those struggling with
addiction, it is your responsibility to lovingly help them overcome temptation.
If you are unable to alter your lives to exclude triggers like smoking, alcohol
or drugs to help save a life, then ask yourself if YOU have a substance abuse
issue.
1 Cor 15:33:
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company
ruins good morals.”
