Q. I had to go into a Christian facility to help get my life back together. But, they don’t allow any smoking – not even outside the facility. For those of us who have smoked all our lives this is a hard, tough requirement. Many of us can’t do it and are kicked out just because someone saw them smoking a cigarette miles away from the facility. That doesn’t seem fair. Any thoughts on this?
Answer:
Accepting Aid
There is no question that breaking addictions of any kind is hard to do. But, if you are willing to accept the aid or charity of an organization you have an obligation to follow their rules. Let’s look at some reasons why.
Benefits to Residents
Most organizations who help and house people don’t ask them to pay much for rent (if anything). They don’t ask them to pay for their food. They don’t ask them to pay for toiletries or clothing. They don’t ask residents to pay the Biblical counselors and pastors who devote hours to helping people recover and change their lives.
Minimal Requirements
But, in return for these free services charitable organizations often do require that residents not smoke or drink. When you think about it, this seems like a small price to pay for all of the benefits residents receive daily.
Community Appearances
Think of this, too. To outsiders who may donate funds to charities, residents who smoke are not demonstrating their true need for genuine aid – cigarettes cost at least $5 or more per pack. Most people know that and may resent residents who use the cash they do have to buy extras like cigarettes or alcohol. It may appear to donors that residents are, in effect, “thumbing their noses” at contributions.
Community Funding
Furthermore, it is crucial for charities to continue to receive funding from the community – especially in an economy like we have today. So these charities want to put their “best face forward” and show that the facility’s residents really do need and want their donations. It appears to the community that smoking and drinking use up resources that needy people really should use to better their lives – not to feed their addictions.
Biblical Values
Remember that most Christian organizations try to follow the Bible. The Apostle Peter tells us…“you are a slave to whatever controls you” (2 Peter 2:19). That applies to all addictions whether drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Charitable groups do not want you to let your life be controlled by substances that could harm you and take away from improvements in your life. Like a Proverb says, “Those who love pleasure become poor. Those who love wine and luxury will never be rich” (Proverbs 21:17, NLT).
Submission to God’s Control
God can help you break the power of addictions in your life if you are willing to submit to His control. We know this is hard. You are not alone. We and many others like us have had to allow the Holy Spirit to help us break addictions.
The Apostle Paul reminds us…“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:16).
True Freedom
Consider this fact, too. Today many non Christian organizations no longer allow smoking, either. In fact, in the State of Oregon this is a law affecting facilities such as retirement homes and nursing care. It is true for prisons, hospitals and most work facilities.
So wasting what little money we have on cigarettes, alcohol or drugs does not bring us “freedom” in our lives (even if we think that freedom means we can do whatever we want). Instead, it brings us bad habits that may limit many of our choices.
Bartering Communities
In rescue missions, long term care and drug/psychiatric facilities smoking encourages a negative bartering community: “I’ll give you a cigarette for $1. I’ll trade you my shaver for 5,” and so on. Residents begin to live for bartering rights and forget other more important matters.
But, submission involves a choice to obey someone or something including following rules if we really desire help with our lives. In fact, true freedom comes from following God. “The Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
This Bible tells us…“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22).
Putting a Stumbling Block Before a Brother
The last fruit listed – self-control – is what we receive when we choose to follow God instead of our demanding sinful nature. Once we choose to follow God we don’t want to put a stumbling block in front of our brothers. In other words, smoking could discourage others from obeying the Lord (see Romans 14:13-15).
Choosing to Follow Christ
So if you are not yet a believer we suggest you think seriously about becoming one. When a person becomes a Christian, God’s Holy Spirit will begin to work in our lives to help us overcome addictions and other problems that hinder us from leading a fulfilling, eternal existence.
1. We become God’s child by believing that Christ died for our sins just as it was prophesied in the Old Testament. (There are over 300 predictions about Christ that are proved to have been written centuries before Christ was born – such as that found in Isaiah 53:46).
2. We also believe that Jesus was truly buried and rose from the dead on the third day just as prophesied in the Old Testament (such as Psalm 16:10).
Our New Family
By believing this Good News found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, we are now written in the Book of Life and will be resurrected to forever lives. We become part of God’s family and are “members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).
If you have chosen to do this then welcome to your new, forever family! Now go out there and become a victorious Christian who chooses to live a life of freedom rather than a life enslaved to addictions.
Run the race that is set before you – and run it to win! (1 Cor. 9:24)
Yes, you can do it!