Happy Thanksgiving!
The use of drugs and alcohol is an attempt to dull our perception of the pain we are in. This is not usually physical pain, it is psychological pain. Thinking about where the use of this dulling agent will eventually take us is not as important as making it through the next few hours with blissful unawareness of our pain.
It’s not the same thing, but the attitude is similar. I asked my Marine buddy who smokes what, it does for him. (He had several tours in Afghanistan and he spent a year relearning to walk. He sucks on one of those liquid smoke things called a JUUL.) He said, you know, when I started smoking, it made me feel better. Now, I smoke to keep from feeling worse.
If you feel badly enough, then a few minutes or hours of relief from that feeling is worth the price. My marine buddy has had several skin cancers removed. At 36, that should be whispering to him, “Stop smoking.” But he hasn’t and he won’t.
Unlike the many drug users and alcoholics I’ve known, I really like this man. But, I can only stand by and be supportive. At least, it’s legal.
Bkmk
As good as anything I’ve read in a long while.
I recommend to all.
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.
‘The thing is, there really IS no end of life because we will ALL live forever, somewhere. For some, life in this world is the only “heaven” they will ever know. For those who choose the narrow road to Christ, life in this world is the only “hell” they will ever know.’
Exceptional.
There’s a book out there that has been very inspirational to many people. It’s named “The Road Less Travelled”. Here’s how it starts:
Life is difficult.
This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult.
Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.
Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy.
They voice their belief, noisily or subtly, that their difficulties represent a unique kind of affliction that should not be and that has somehow been especially visited upon them, or else upon their families, their tribe, their class, their nation, their race or even their species, and not upon others.
I know about this moaning because I have done my share
A Zen Buddhist *koan* is a “thought question”, where pondering the question, not the answer, is the real purpose of the exercise. As such they generally do not directly serve a religious purpose, and Zen Buddhism only gets the credit for thinking up the idea in the first place. Kind of a novel notion to western thought.
So properly speaking, a *koan* can originate anywhere, often rising from a seemingly intractable problem. Again, their purpose is not to find an answer, but to go through the process of examining the question.
One such *koan* is germane to this situation:
“Does drink (or drugs) make us weak, or do we consume drink (or drugs) because we are weak?”
Again, an instant opinion of one or the other defeats the purpose of this question.
However, in past, a good Christian pointed out that the most important part of this koan are the words “us” and “we”.
That is, a Christian should not think of him or her self as alone, but always joined with God. And while people are naturally weak, God is always strong. So the weakness that remains, after drink or drugs, just implies that the person needs to strengthen, not themselves, but their connection with God. And in doing so they will be strengthened.
Everything depends on if you are born again, TRULY born again. Then, your spirit is 100% occupied by The Holy Spirit! Reading God’s word strengthens your soul (mind, will, emotion). You get ‘high’ when you experience the gift of The Spirit (Gal. 5:22). With your soul strengthened in The Word, it impacts how you treat your body which is God’s temple, not mine!!!
We are studying Spirit, Soul and Body by Andrew Wommack. Although I don’t see eye to eye 100%, I have been humbled by where I thought I was and where I actually am. II Chronicles 7:14 and the Ten Commandments are convicting me.
I gave up alcohol for just over 3 months. I felt great, although it took a month to do so as social events were not as fun for me!! If DJT can do it I’ll give it a whirl!
Not me, partner ! I’m vigorous virile and potent ! ( and nice 👍)
Nice read. More please.
Marking to keep