A prayer devotional: Author Alison Giblett, edited by Mary Halsey.

Four symbols of Easter can really reflect the life of an addict or anyone in rebellion to God.

Palm leaves = rejoicing / high

Drugs and sin initially create a false sense of life, fun, excitement and partying.

All sin looks attractive, as we chose to ignore the consequences. 

I do recognise that this parallel, like all parables of the life of addiction and sin, with the drama of the Holy Week, is limited. For example, it was the people who were rejoicing, thinking that their King was finally coming to set them free from the oppression of the Romans. However, when Jesus looked over Jerusalem, He wept as He knew the great suffering that was coming to them because they didn’t recognise what would bring them peace. The happiness that the devil gives is very short lived and only traps us. However, God longs to give true joy. 

Bread & wine = commitment

The more people use drugs, the more committed they become to using, relying on drugs to feel normal, such that they crave alcohol or other drugs more than food and drink. 

The more we sin – lying, stealing, the easier it becomes to do so, as our conscience hardens. Sinning becomes addictive.  

By using these daily requirements of the bread and wine, Jesus demonstrated that we daily need to be dependent on Him and not on our human resources. 

The cross = suffering / surrender       

The negative consequences and destruction in relationships and health of using drugs, alcohol or any other destructive habit continually increase. 

Eventually the suffering from sin and addiction can bring us to an early & very painful death. 

However, if we are wise, it brings us to surrender.   

We need to agree with the second thief, who hung on the cross next to Jesus:

“I deserve to die, but Jesus has done nothing wrong. Lord remember me in your kingdom.” 

And also make Jesus’ words our own: 

“Father forgive me, for I didn’t realise what I was doing” 

Then most importantly: 

“Lord into your hands I commit my spirit, my life & my all.” 

If we do, we will also benefit from the victory Christ won for us. 

Empty tomb = victory / freedom

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and took our punishment for all our sin, bondage and shame, means we can go free. We are able to live a completely new life. We are raised from spiritual death to eternal life, free from death, destruction and hopeless despair, to a life of peace, fulfilment and joy. 

In my personal experience with hundreds of addicts that I worked with, I’ve found that the first time they turned to God, He miraculously set them free from withdrawal and addiction though surrender and faithful prayer. However, if they then rejected the freedom God had given them, and returned to sin and drugs, their recovery next time round could be longer.

We can never resist temptation in our own strength, but only by relying on God, just like Jesus did throughout His life, in particular at His point of greatest temptation, by regularly taking time out to pray.