Various addictions seem to have skyrocketed in our country. Sexual addiction is growing, and we have an enormous problem with drug and alcohol addiction. While people debate on whether addiction is a medical problem or a spiritual and emotional issue, the number of addicts continues to mount.

Some of the best treatment programs in the country are not funded by government money, but by the contributions of churches and individuals. I meet one day a week with alcoholics and drug addicts in a residential recovery ministry called “Home with a Heart.” Men can come to this eight-week program without cost. Yet the recovery rate for men in places like this is much better than in individual counseling.

Enough studies have been done that indicate individual counseling, while effective for some people, is not nearly as effective for the majority of addicts who are seeking genuine life change. An eight-week residential program allows a person enough time to separate from a destructive lifestyle, become clean and sober, and begin to think in more healthy ways. The interaction and accountability with people who are struggling with the same sin problem is powerful. Through this type of interaction, more solid and hopeful motivation is formed inside a recovering addict.

When the program presents Christ as Savior and Lord and focuses on learning His word and applying it to personal life situations, it becomes even more powerful. Old habits may take some time to break permanently, but they are being broken every day. People are overcoming alcohol and drug addiction. How do they do it? Most of the people I work with will tell you without blinking an eye that it is the power of God. Practically, that means taking one day at a time (a pretty good idea for every Christian).

Addiction is a horrible pain not only to the addict, but to the family and friends of the addict as well. Healing the emotional hurts from such abuse may take much longer than eight weeks, but when the Lord of truth is loved and His word applied, freedom from addiction is the invariable result.