Near Death Experiences, Drug Addiction & Euphoria

Last Wednesday, we met with some fellow BP's, {Bereaved Parents}, and we were talking about near-death experiences. You've probably all heard or read at least one story about someone who died and was brought back. (i.e. Heaven Is For Real). The stories often include a description of seeing a brilliantly white light and going towards that light. So in this conversation, our friend talked about a NDE (Near Death Experience) that someone he knew had had. When he died, and before he was brought back by the emergency personnel, he went into that bright white light and he said that the feeling of being in that light was one of pure love, peace, and joy...just an unbelievable and indescribable feeling. He said there was nothing like it on Earth. As I heard that and remembered other stories my husband has been sharing while reading books on Heaven, a thought struck me. Euphoria.

I've been reading a lot about drug addiction. You get pretty interested after losing a child to an overdose. One of the stories that I read was posted by a former addict. In it, he described the drug high as a feeling of complete euphoria. That the drugs make you feel whole and complete. That it masks those feelings of shame, regret, inadequacy or any of the other things that are bringing you down. That it blots out fear and rejection. That the drugs make you feel invincible. One young man said it made him feel "like I thought everyone else must feel". Isn't that the saddest thing? He literally thought everyone else felt amazing all the time, and that he was different, broken.

No one wants to be an addict.

In so many cases, drug addiction started so harmlessly. Often times, from a prescription for an injury, chronic pain, or a surgery. Or maybe it was a bad decision made at a party, or someone succumbed to peer pressure or was looking for a way out of depression or sadness. Quite possibly to escape their life for just a little while. Or dull some traumatic experience that they had.  But once that feeling took hold of the brain it literally became the sole focus of the brain.  Addiction can be immediate.  Yes, you can become addicted from trying a drug ONCE. People, we are ALL looking for that feeling of completeness and wholeness, and where we are looking, is not where it resides. 

So, what do NDE's and addiction have in common? Euphoria. I believe and it's my opinion, that drugs are the counterfeit of Satan for the feeling of wholeness that comes from God alone. The Bible says we are born with an innate knowledge of God, Romans 1:19:  "For the truth about God is known to them instinctively; God has put this knowledge in their hearts." {NLT} 

You see, we were not created to be apart from God. We were created to fellowship with Him - to be one with Him. We know that fact deep in our souls. He has placed that knowledge there.  We were created by God and for God.  Whether you actively believe it not, whether you're running from that truth or not, it is the longing and the desire of your heart.

However, the perfect world that we were created to reside in was broken.  The fall happened - Adam and Eve sinned and the evil one got his way that day.  Evil entered that beautiful garden (Be on your guard) and one bad decision (Stand firm in the faith) changed all of our lives forever. We could no longer live in the Presence of the Most High God. Sin brought a curse upon the Earth, and we live now, in a world that is broken beyond repair. But God.  We can still have a personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, his son, but it isn't the face to face - complete and whole, that we were designed for. So God gave us His Son to save us, and His Holy Spirit to live in us and to help us. (Be Courageous)

We've probably all heard the phrase a "God-shaped hole." Well, I believe that is very true. We have this longing inside our hearts - down deep in our souls, that we are always trying to fill. What one of us, in all honesty, can say that we truly feel complete, euphoric? Isn't that why we are always looking for the quick fix, for the miracle pill? That next thing that is suppose to bring us happiness and fulfillment? Our "if only." If only I were married, had kids, had that perfect job, a home, a tribe, fewer problems, a smaller waistline, better health? You fill in the blanks. Because you know that when those boxes are checked, you might feel happier for a short time, but it didn't bring completeness, did it?

If we are honest, I think we can all answer no. No, it didn't. The closest thing, the thing that gives us a taste of that completeness, is a relationship with the Father.  The Bible says we have this hope, this future: Eternal life with Father God in our Heavenly home. We will be enveloped in that white light of Jesus, and we will know wholeness, perfection, the purest form of love and the completest peace. But until then we have to be on our guard against the schemes of the evil one. (Be Strong). And my friends, drugs are a tool - a major tool that he uses to enslave us.

The Bible tells us that Satan is the great deceiver, the father of lies. He doesn't want us to live eternally in the Kingdom of God. Nope. His pride got him tossed out of God's presence, and ever since that happened, he wants to share that misery with the children of God. He wants them to fail. He wants them to turn away from God. He wants to hurt God by hurting God's creation. He wants to trick them just as he tricked Eve way back in Genesis. And one of the ways he does that is by making you believe that you aren't enough. And then, when you slide down that slippery slope and try a drug . . .HOOK. Satan just set the hook inside your lip and he's reeling you in. He just used that euphoric feeling to trick you into believing that with those drugs, you are enough. You are complete. You are whole. You are flipping amazing. For a moment. But, now you want to feel like that again and again because when those drugs wore off, you felt even worse about yourself than you did before you took them. 

He has just set a temptation before you, just like he did with Eve. Only he didn't offer you the line he gave her in Genesis 3:5: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil", nope. She wanted to be like God. But he's telling you that whatever it is that's causing you to feel less than is what the  drugs/alcohol were magically going to fix. But God. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 says "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."  But you have to want to.  You have to stand your ground. You have to say no. You have to see through the scheme. This is self-control, and we ALL struggle with it. Everyone one of us has a problem saying no to something. But God.  God will give you the strength to say no, ask Him.

What Satan didn't whisper in your ear was that his diabolic plan for you was to turn you into a heroin addict, a meth addict, an abuser of opioids or an alcoholic. That it would enslave you. Ruin your life. That it would put you in chains. Kill you.  What he also failed to mention was that you were going to hate yourself even more than you did originally. That now you were going to heap on a serious dose of shame, guilt, and condemnation. That people were going to really start judging you. That the name calling and labels were going to get really ugly: druggie, doper, addict, junkie, user, meth-head. 

You just fell for the oldest lie in the book. Literally. But you aren't alone. We've all fallen for his lies. We've all been guilty of wanting to feel that sense of wholeness and completion - and friend, one day WE WILL. One day, everything that's wrong will be made right again.  And until that day, God is here and He is present. God wins, in the end, not this ugly demon. The story has already been written. Your story has already been written. God is victorious, and the good news is that you can live a life here and now that you are complete in. A great life.  He can make you whole. He can help you turn from the lies and the destruction, and you can walk in freedom. 

Please, if you are in trouble, ask for help. Don't let pride be your downfall like it was with the evil one.  You can live a different life, you can be free. There is hope. Please don't end up believing a lie from the pit of hell. Choose God, choose help, choose to live. God will always give you a way out of temptation.  He is our ever-present help in times of trouble.  Believe in Him.  Trust in Him.  Help me, Lord.  Forgive me, Jesus.  I need you.

Please don't let your parents find you dead in your bed like we found our son. 

I'm praying for you.