desire
• Night sweats
• Poor general health
• Shaky hands
• Skin breakouts
• Tendency to look older
• Unhealthy looking complexion
• Weight gain or puffiness
The Bible describes those who are addicted as those who have sorrow in their hearts:
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow?…Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine”
(P ROVERBS 23:29-30).
Behavioral Warning Signs
• Compulsive drug use
• Defensive about the addiction
• Denial that there is a problem
• Dishonest about usage
• Obstinate about change
• Rebellious toward those in authority
• Reclusive from those wanting to help
• Secretive about time spent on the addiction
Many a person has made an alliance with an addiction. God issues this warning to those who make choices that are contrary to His will for their lives:
“‘Woe to the obstinate children,’ declares the L ORD , ‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin’”
(I SAIAH 30:1).
Relational Warning Signs
• Associating primarily with other users
• Attempting to hide addictive behavior
• Being too weak to stop and too stubborn to get help
• Deceiving others about money spent on the addiction
• Lying to others about frequency of use
• Prioritizing the drug over people and profession
• Refusing to act responsibly in relationships
• Shifting blame to others for problems
All close relationships are harmed when anyone struggles with an addiction. The Bible describes the warning signs of an abuser:
“This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious . He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard”
(D EUTERONOMY 21:20).
Spiritual Warning Signs
• Aversion to Scripture
• Conviction by the Spirit
• Diminished prayer life
• Fear of God’s punishment
• Feel estranged from God
• Hardened heart toward God
• Lack of joy
• Withdrawal from church life
The Lord describes those who choose to turn away from Him and choose “new wine”:
“They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me”
(H OSEA 7:14).
Josh Hamilton was placed on the team’s disabled list for a month, and other sports-related injuries were quick to follow, keeping the star off the baseball diamond more than on it. Separated from his parents and hampered by injury, Josh said, “The two things that I really knew in life, baseball and my parents, were taken away from me at the same time.” 20
The one-two punch sent Josh reeling, and before long the warning signs of severe substance abuse surfaced—at least four failed drug tests and eight trips to rehab.
C. What Delineates Binge Drinking?
A growing number of people today engage in binge drinking —that is, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time. While some cases of “overdoing” may be harmless, when it comes to alcohol, binge drinking is not only dangerous but it can also be deadly. Long before it was faddish to binge drink, the biblical book on wisdom gave this warning:
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags”
(P ROVERBS 23:20-21).
According to surveys taken in the United States…
• Binge drinkers …
– Are more likely to be male 21
– Are 14 times more likely to experience alcohol-impaired driving 22
– Are 3 times more likely to binge drink when they consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks 23
– Are more likely to have unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, cause unintended pregnancies, and acquire sexually transmitted diseases 24
– Typically have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams percent or above, which generally occurs when a man consumes five or more drinks in a two-hour period and a woman
• Night sweats
• Poor general health
• Shaky hands
• Skin breakouts
• Tendency to look older
• Unhealthy looking complexion
• Weight gain or puffiness
The Bible describes those who are addicted as those who have sorrow in their hearts:
“Who has woe? Who has sorrow?…Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine”
(P ROVERBS 23:29-30).
Behavioral Warning Signs
• Compulsive drug use
• Defensive about the addiction
• Denial that there is a problem
• Dishonest about usage
• Obstinate about change
• Rebellious toward those in authority
• Reclusive from those wanting to help
• Secretive about time spent on the addiction
Many a person has made an alliance with an addiction. God issues this warning to those who make choices that are contrary to His will for their lives:
“‘Woe to the obstinate children,’ declares the L ORD , ‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin’”
(I SAIAH 30:1).
Relational Warning Signs
• Associating primarily with other users
• Attempting to hide addictive behavior
• Being too weak to stop and too stubborn to get help
• Deceiving others about money spent on the addiction
• Lying to others about frequency of use
• Prioritizing the drug over people and profession
• Refusing to act responsibly in relationships
• Shifting blame to others for problems
All close relationships are harmed when anyone struggles with an addiction. The Bible describes the warning signs of an abuser:
“This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious . He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard”
(D EUTERONOMY 21:20).
Spiritual Warning Signs
• Aversion to Scripture
• Conviction by the Spirit
• Diminished prayer life
• Fear of God’s punishment
• Feel estranged from God
• Hardened heart toward God
• Lack of joy
• Withdrawal from church life
The Lord describes those who choose to turn away from Him and choose “new wine”:
“They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me”
(H OSEA 7:14).
Josh Hamilton was placed on the team’s disabled list for a month, and other sports-related injuries were quick to follow, keeping the star off the baseball diamond more than on it. Separated from his parents and hampered by injury, Josh said, “The two things that I really knew in life, baseball and my parents, were taken away from me at the same time.” 20
The one-two punch sent Josh reeling, and before long the warning signs of severe substance abuse surfaced—at least four failed drug tests and eight trips to rehab.
C. What Delineates Binge Drinking?
A growing number of people today engage in binge drinking —that is, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time. While some cases of “overdoing” may be harmless, when it comes to alcohol, binge drinking is not only dangerous but it can also be deadly. Long before it was faddish to binge drink, the biblical book on wisdom gave this warning:
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags”
(P ROVERBS 23:20-21).
According to surveys taken in the United States…
• Binge drinkers …
– Are more likely to be male 21
– Are 14 times more likely to experience alcohol-impaired driving 22
– Are 3 times more likely to binge drink when they consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks 23
– Are more likely to have unprotected sex, multiple sex partners, cause unintended pregnancies, and acquire sexually transmitted diseases 24
– Typically have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams percent or above, which generally occurs when a man consumes five or more drinks in a two-hour period and a woman
Similar Books
