Last Saturday, on the trip to Mandeville to conduct my monthly meeting at the drug rehabilitation center, I was accompanied by my friend, Bill Hubbard.

With 22 men in attendance whom I had never met, I said that I believe all drug abusers have a low self-image coupled with pride, which is a sin and a spiritual cancer.

With that, I shared that tonight we will discuss the seven capital, or deadly, sins. They are anger, envy, lust, gluttony, greed, pride and slothfulness.

I then repeated what I heard years ago from a preacher.

He said that sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and, eventually, cost you more than you want to pay.

I told the group that all of them, including myself, have experienced that happening in our lives.    

I stressed the fact all sin can be controlled by making the right choices.

Before I closed, I asked Bill (and I knew the answer) if he had a crisp $100 bill. He said he did and gave it to me. I held it up and asked if anyone wanted it.

They all said yes. I then rumpled it in my hands until it was like a ball. “Does anyone still want this?”  “Sure,” they said. I threw it on the floor and said, “Suppose my shoes were dirty and wet and I stepped on it, don’t tell me you would still want it!” 

Again, they said, “We’ll take it!” “Why?” I asked. “Because, regardless of its condition, it hasn’t lost its value.”

“That’s right!” I said.   

I continued, “All of you have been abused and roughed up and stepped on. To God, none of you have lost your value.

He is willing to open His arms, receive you, forgive you, and His plan is for you to become drug-free and the godly men you were created to be.”

We then prayed and I offered Bill his $100 back? He laughed and said, “Not in that condition. You keep it!”

As the meeting came to a close, I asked if anyone had any questions.

One middle-aged alcoholic asked if I thought alcoholism was hereditary. I knew what his motive was, because treatment centers and peer support groups stress that addiction is a disease.

In other words, that the addict is not responsible for his addictive disorder. Because of Adam’s sin, sin has been passed down from generation to generation. We inherited man’s first sin, but God gives us a choice to reject sin.

The meeting was good and the clients were great. Bill enjoyed it and I made $100!

 

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.