United States (MNN) — There’s a potential blind spot in many churches in the United States that deserves attention.
According to a study from Lifeway Research, Protestant churches are less likely today than they were five years ago to provide spiritual support for people dealing with addiction or substance abuse.
It’s not that addiction doesn’t touch the church. The study – conducted among pastors from various denominations and backgrounds – showed that 64% of pastors had members of their churches with family members personally affected by opioid abuse.
It’s also not that Christians believe addiction isn’t a serious concern in America. It is. Just one example comes from the fact that in 2022, more than 81,000 Americans lost their lives to opioid abuse.
What is wrong?
One way to put it is that the Church doesn’t always stand in God’s power, love, and mercy with His Word in our hands.
“[The church] is designed by God to be the place for broken and hurting people to find refuge and hope, and we have bought into the lie that we can’t help people with deep, dark problems, and we’ve got to send them to the professionals,” says Brandon Bower with The Lighthouse.
(Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Phaeton via Unsplash.)
“So we send them to secular counselors and they’re being taught anti-biblical things. Then we wonder why these people aren’t active and thriving in our church.”
Instead, believers must remember that the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and that the Spirit uses it to transform peoples’ lives.
“I think we just need to reclaim some of the boldness that the early church had. We need to not be afraid to share our faith, to love on people who are different than us, who are broken, who are destroyed by a sinful world,” Bower says.
“No one is is more primed and ready for a relationship with a Savior than someone whose life has been utterly destroyed.”
Take the next step toward the hurting
If you or your church community don’t know how to best support those struggling with addiction or substance abuse, The Lighthouse has launched a new resource called “What Do I Do Now?” written by Brandon Bower and available on Amazon.
(Photo courtesy of Toa Heftiba via Unsplash)
“It’s a guide to help those who love someone with an addiction know how to deal with them,” says Bower.
Bower says some believers and churches may need to start by getting into the Word and repenting of closed hearts against broken people. Then, take another step, which might look like seeking training and support.
“I would link up with some people who can help train pastors and elders and deacons in how to care for the broken and hurting. There [are] a lot of organizations that do that,” says Bower. The Lighthouse is one of those organizations.
“I would also recommend googling ‘biblical counselor in [my] area’ and finding someone who who uses God’s Word as a healing tool in the lives of others. They [could] come alongside you and help train you in these things as well.”
Visit The Lighthouse at lhfw.org to learn more.
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Annie Spratt via Unsplash.
