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You know, drug addiction can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It can look like a meth addiction, a pill addiction, a weed or smoking addiction. And I even think it can encompass people who are addicted to caffeine and have to drink over five cups of coffee a day. You know, I remember going on a walk with my best friend around the block, and as we were walking, we ran into a friend that I haven't seen since middle school. And at the time, he was fun, was hilarious. So I was a little excited to see him. But as we spoke, he just kind of felt lifeless. He didn't make eye contact, didn't smile, was very monotone. And when he walked away, almost felt like he wasn't even there. And as I brought it up to my friend Jess, he told me that our buddy in middle school really fell hard into drugs. You see, what can happen in a drug addiction is that people go through difficult life situations or they have some kind of internal pain. And in an effort to soothe their pain or redirect their attention, they go to something. And as they continue to turn to this thing that helps relieve them, a dependency grows and an addiction is set. So in an effort to help people who have become overly dependent or reliant on a substance, here are 10 biblical steps that can help people break free from their addiction. Hey, guys, if you like our videos, you can show your support by subscribing to the channel. And make sure you ring that notification bell so you don't miss any of our uploads. And if you want to support us further, you can become a member or you can purchase some of our merch. We're always trying to create new products, stickers, and designs, so please check it out. Step number one, admit your need for help. Matthew 11:28. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. So I do want to say before we get started that while there are many different ways to overcome a drug addiction, we on impact want to lay out what the Bible's solution is. And Jesus says that if someone is heavy laden or is bearing a load that's too hard to bear to go to him, and that he'll give them rest. So the first step to take when it comes to breaking an addiction is to actually see your need for help. I think some people can look at their addiction to drugs and see them as a solution to the pain that they're feeling as opposed to seeing them as the burden and the problem that they actually are. So note that that mindset needs to change. So with that said, if you to break an addiction, you need to understand that the addiction that you are carrying is a burden and that you need help. And I'd encourage you to humble yourself and go to Jesus for help, because I'd argue that he is the one that can give you rest. Step number two. Surrender your life to Jesus. Romans, chapter 12, verse 1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. In this passage, Paul is encouraging believers in Rome to give their bodies and lives to God. And I want you to notice here that Paul says living sacrifice. So what he's essentially telling believers is to fully surrender and submit to God by living in a way that's holy. You see, biblically speaking, a drug addiction is rooted in a person serving something other than God. And many times people make drugs their God and the desire for them begins to rule their life and consume their thoughts. So I'll say this. Drugs are a cruel master. And here on impact, we want to point you to a different master to surrender to. And that master is Jesus, who is God. And he died on the cross for the penalty of your sins and wrongdoings. And he offers you freedom. So know that part of making Jesus your Lord looks like praying and expressing your desire to quit your addiction and asking him to save you from the penalty of your sin. And one of the ways that you can make Jesus your Lord is through step number three. Build a daily walk with God. Galatians, chapter five, verse 16. I say, then walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. In this passage, Paul tells believers to walk in the Spirit and follow God. And as they do, they won't do the things their body wants to do. So when it comes to drug addiction, the body wants to consume something. Something, even if it's harmful to it. But the Bible here says that as someone follows God, they won't do the lustful things their body wants to do. You know, I've been taught that the best way to remove a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. So instead of daily chasing the high that you'd get from a drug, I'd instead encourage you to pursue God daily and to keep it simple for you. There's three main ways you can grow in God, grow in his word, grow in prayer, and grow in fellowship. Fellowship. For growing in God's word, I recommend that you watch our how to Study the Bible beginner level video. And for learning how to pray, I'd also encourage you to watch our how to Pray series, which we pasted in the description below. And when it comes to growing in fellowship, let's look at step number four. Join a supportive community. First Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 26 to 27. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. In this passage, Paul is teaching the Corinthians about how the church functions as a body. And if a member of that church community is suffering or is rejoicing, then all the members are included. You know, my Japan church leader, Johnny was telling me of a time when he joined a church plant at a park in the US So that they could connect with the people there. And their focus was was to build a loving Christian community with people who had nothing. And a close friend of Johnny's who was homeless had a weed addiction and he wanted to get help. So Johnny and his friends helped him get into a program which led to him getting permanent housing. And after about nine months, they celebrated his graduation. So the point I'm getting at here is that it takes a village to overcome something as powerful as a drug addiction. Johnny was telling me how these nine months were a journey for not just his friend who was an addict, but for everyone else too, who wanted to support him. So for you, if you want to be free, I would encourage you to stay committed to a loving godly community and to remember that isolation fuels addiction and that true healing happens in healthy relationships. Step number five. Determine if professional help is needed. Proverbs 24, 6. For by wise counsel you will wage your own war. And in a multitude of counselors, there is safety. In this passage, the proverb tells us that you can't win wars without wise counsel. And when you have many people advising you, there is safety. And one thing that we want to say here at Impact is we are not professional therapists. And while we can point you to God and give a little direction, you should not just follow our advice. Because in this passage, it says, in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. So if you want to win your war, you may need to seek advice from others that are trained in rehabilitation. So I recommend that you do some research and that you find some programs that could help your specific addiction and then enroll in that program. And on top of that, really fast, stay away from unwise and foolish people. That will either normalize your addiction or pull you down, because in the end, they will pull you back to the habit that you hate. Step number six. Have a mentor. Ecclesiastes, chapter four, verses nine to ten. Two people are better off than one. If one falls, the other can reach out and help. In this passage, King Solomon, who wrote this book, made an observation that two people are better than one. And the reason why is because if two people are together and one of them falls, the other can pick them back up. So in my personal life, while I was never addicted to drugs, I personally struggled with suicidal thoughts. And the person who helped me get out of that place was one of my mentors. And I met with him regularly until I was able to overcome my struggles. So for you, I need you to understand that there are some obstacles in life that are much bigger than you. And in the case of drug addiction, finding a mentor that you can trust and is able to help you is priceless. So whether they're from your supportive community or from an organization or if they're a licensed therapist, find a mentor that you can confide in. Step number seven. Address root causes. Matthew, chapter seven, verse 17. Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. In this passage, Jesus is showing the comparison between good trees and bad trees, and that good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. So if you're struggling with an addiction, try to think of yourself like a tree and think of the harmful actions that you commit like fruit, and think of the reasons why you commit those actions like the roots. So when you're addicted, you can't just try to cut off all the bad fruit because it'll just grow back. Rather, if you want to be more effective, you need to get to the root. And this root or the reasons why you're in a drug addiction could be trauma or loss, or you coping with a broken past. Or it could be a need to feel accepted or you numbing a pain in your life that you don't want to think about. So if you have a mentor and are in a program, they should be helping you find the source. Source or root of your addiction. And when you do find the root of your addiction, I would encourage you to look at that root and then to respond to it with forgiveness, where you learn to forgive others who've wronged you, and you receive forgiveness by saying sorry to the people that you've wronged. And the reason why this is so important is because one of the keys to having a new Life of victory is having a softened heart that is able to love, forgive, and is able to move forward from an addiction that is rooted in the past. Step number 8 Build a new life 2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17 Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone. A new life has begun. In this passage, Paul is encouraging believers with the truth that when they belong to Christ, they become a new person where their old life is gone and they begin a new one. So when you get to this step, you need to think of yourself like a blank canvas that has a good future ahead of you. So instead of focusing on the past, focus instead on the life that God wants to help you build. And then consider cultivating relationships with people who will continue to uplift you. So when building a new life, I challenge you to replace old routines with healthy ones and to try to find good rhythms for sleep, exercise, prayer, work, and hobbies. Also avoid triggers like people, places, or entertainment that's linked to your past. And on top of that, make sure you set healthy boundaries and then stick to them. Because I found that lasting recovery means changing how you live, not just what you avoid. Step number nine learn through relapses Proverbs 24:16 Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again in this passage. It shows that even though righteous people fall multiple times, they get back up again. So what I want to talk about here is the reality of relapse. Because the time will probably come when you stumble after significant progress has been made. So should the time come and you find fall, remember this passage and then depend on God and get back up. What you don't want to do is stay in defeat and throw all the progress and little wins you've had along the way. So note when you fall. You need to remember that falling is good when you can learn from it. So should you relapse, don't just sulk and get depressed. Instead, I want you to think, okay, I messed up, why did I fall? And how can I change up my strategy so I can win next time. You see, many times recovery is not linear, and instead of the journey looking like this, it looks like this instead. So understand that relapse does not erase progress. So when they come, like this passage says, get back up and then learn from them. And finally, step number 10 Stay committed. First Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord in this passage, Paul is instructing the Corinthians to be strong and to not give up the work they're doing for God. And then when they do work for God, they need to remember that it is never useless. So in your fight to defeat addiction, which is hard work, you need to stay committed and you need to keep going. And if you struggle, that's okay. Struggle is good sometimes because commitment is good for you and your growth towards greater commitment is not only worth your time, it also blesses God. Okay, so if you're struggling with a drug addiction, remember these 10 biblical steps. Admit your need for help, surrender your life to Jesus, build a daily walk with God, join a supportive community, determine if professional help is needed, have a mentor address root causes, build a new life, learn through relapses, and stay committed to close I want you to hear what Michael Jordan has to say. I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games 26 times. I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. So see here how despite how much Michael Jordan failed, he still got back up. So remember that your road to recovery will be a tough road at times. And I should note that this road is a journey, not a one time event. So I'd encourage you to keep fighting, keep going, and as you do, always remember that Jesus loves you.