Beyond Denial

My stepfather was an alcoholic. Not a “problem drinker” – not a “tippler” – not a “bar fly.” He was a bona fide alcoholic and died of the disease at age 56. He was addicted to the substance of alcohol and he never mustered the motivation sufficient enough to conquer the thing that took his life --- at least 25 years ahead of time, not to mention his miserable quality of life for at least 30 years of his brief time here. Therapists and counselors of all stripes will tell you that the very first step in beating any dependence is to admit the addiction and commit to recovery. The tabloids and news channels are rife with stories of myriad celebrities who have demonstrated failure upon failure after submitting (usually directed) to rehab programs. This is precisely akin to our human addiction to sin. If we don’t recognize the prospect that we are sinners, lost without hope we will ultimately die in our sinful condition (John 8:24). No matter how much or how forcefully we reject the unpleasant truth, it cannot be avoided indefinitely (Num. 32:33).

It is a curious characteristic of the human race that we are prone to behave in such a manner that we employ an unconscious defense mechanism used to reduce anxiety by refusal to accept thoughts, feelings, or facts that are consciously intolerable. This is known as denial. The human consciousness seemingly cannot live with guilt. We will either find a way to blame someone or something else for it or we will gnaw on it until it transforms us into neurotic basket cases leading eventually to insanity or suicide or first one then the other. The cultivation of an addiction, particularly to alcohol, is one of the ways of coping with the gnawing process.

Most simply stated, we are, by our fallen nature, addicted to sin, and since we won’t deal with it we usually try to find a way to mitigate its consequences. For a while we thought we could handle it, for there is pleasure in sin for a season (Heb. 11:25), but now it is the master and we are the servant. Sin weighs us down like a millstone around the neck in deep water (Mt 18:6). But Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11:28-30) Do yourself a great favor. Take a moment to conduct a brief mental inventory. Are you struggling with yourself? Are you longing to be at peace in your mind and in your heart? You can trust just one name to give you relief. Psychiatrists can attempt to help you with your mental struggles; charities of all kinds can feed, shelter and clothe you; community job training centers can help you with finding work; doctors can mend your broken bones; support groups can help you deal with losing weight, being single or discovering your musical talent. But only God can fix your sin problem and His promise, unlike all those other presenters, is a guarantee. (Rom 10:13; John 6:37). Further, once you’ve allowed Him to take care of the sin burden, you’ll be astonished how He will then help you with your other burdens. It’s true!