On the surface I realize the title above sounds somewhat absurd. Normally we welcome friends into a warm, inviting home, or to a delicious dinner, or to a positive experience. In fact, welcomes are most always positive, almost always pleasant.

Why, then, would I welcome you to the dark world of addictions, where sorrow, suffering, and shame permeate the atmosphere? Because I want you here—I need you here! I want to deepen your understanding of this debilitating world to help free you—or someone you love—from its gravitational grip.

And so I welcome you. I want you to learn about the isolated inner world of the addicted—the devastating, self-destructive struggles that characterize every day of their lives. I also welcome you to explore what has brought help to countless millions—the “crisis interventions,” the various rehabilitation programs, the Christian 12-step world of recovery, and so much more. What better way to develop a compassionate heart for strugglers?

I further welcome you to learn about the ways to connect with, pray for, and reach out to a struggler. What better way to be used by God than to help meet a struggler’s needs?

If you worked for a disaster relief organization and you were assigned to a country on the opposite side of the globe, you would surely take time to learn about its people and language, its currency and customs. You would want to educate yourself so you could be of greater help to those you are about to meet. The same is true when stepping into the world of addictions. The more you enter into an understanding of this world, the more you can help others exit this world.

I wish you had known my Uncle Billy. He was quite bright. His teachers said he was a stellar student who could make straight As without even coming to class. He had thick brown hair, deep-set dimples, and a winsome smile. Everyone wanted to be around Uncle Billy, yet he kept his distance. He seemed to keep an impenetrable wall between himself and others.

I always felt sorry for my uncle because he was somewhat the black sheep of the family. By the time I was a teenager, he had experienced many losses because of his heavy drinking. The worst, by far, was the day he discovered his business partner had run off with all of their company’s money—and with his wife.

Uncle Billy was devastated. He not only lost his work and his wife, but he also lost control of his life—something else had control of him. He was an alcoholic, and he literally lost his life—he died as a result of suicide. We all loved Uncle Billy, but in the end, we lost him.

I’ve often wondered, What might have helped my Uncle Billy? What would have delivered him from his addiction? What would have saved him from his own self-destruction? Like my uncle, countless others have been destroyed by debilitating addictions, leaving family and friends grappling with the haunting “if onlys”: If only I’d grasped the gravity…if only I’d learned…If only I’d understood…

With addictive habits affecting so many millions who continually relapse, some wonder, Can those who struggle with addictions be set free—permanently? The answer is yes! There is genuine hope—guaranteed hope—rooted in the promises of God. He can give the supernatural help so desperately needed—not only to be set free, but also to stay free. It all beg
ins with the admission that there is a problem. Then there must be a willingness to face the problem so healing can begin.

And for every struggler who is reading this: Remember, you are not alone. God is ready to provide all the strength, power, and discipline you need. According to the prophet Isaiah, He is reaching out to you, saying, “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).

Do you need His help? Do you need His strong hand to get you on the road to recovery? If so, grab hold…start now. Keep in mind that every journey begins with a single step. So start walking. And if you stumble, that’s okay. Don’t give up! Get back up and keep going.

You can leave the world of addictions—you can live in the world of freedom. It’s not impossible! The Bible gives you this absolute assurance: “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).