"Jesus Loves Me," Yes Whitney You Were Right

So Whitney Houseton’s dead. Another causality of drugs and alcohol addiction, though nothing official has come out about her cause of death. While she might not have of OD, most of us know her addiction ruined her career and may have taken her life. She’d been to a number of rehabs, but never got completely clean for long. Why? I can only surmise, but I can hazard a guess that she never personally surrended her life wholeheartedly to God, though she may have had an inkling that Jesus loved her. Interesting that her last song was “Jesus Loves Me.” Though poorly sung, that’s not the point. If only she would have fully accessed the power of that truth—Jesus loved her.


According to one old fashioned preacher, he learned all the doctrine he really needed to know in that one song. It’s really the crux of the gospel. Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners and died on a cross for our sins. His love was unconditional. While Whitney was partying, doing drugs, etc., God still loved her. He also loved me while I was living a sinful life, and He loved my son while in the midst of his addiction. The problem was Whitney didn’t fully receive that love. If she had, she could have accessed the power behind that love (God) and applied it to her life, then she would have been able to break free from the bondage of addiction.

But perhaps she had an inkling of Jesus’ love and that spurred her to sing that childhood song in her final days. Perhaps God’s love was breaking though to her, though her life was falling apart and soon to be ended. While I cannot know her heart, only God can judge that, I can pray that others, who are battling powerful addictions, can come to know the power of Jesus’ love. A love so strong that it not only died for us, but forgave our sins: as in the example of the woman who the Jews wanted to stone to death because she was caught in adultery. Jesus was not condoning her actions, but loving her while she was yet chained to her sin. He challenged the crowd, “If any one of you is without sin, cast the first stone at her” (John 8:7). When no one did, her life was saved. Then he challenged her, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Some believe this was Mary Magdalene, who followed Jesus closely, but who she was is not that important. What’s paramount is the Jesus’ love rescued this woman and changed her.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I challenge you (and myself) to think about the true meaning of love. Most Christians consider 1 Corinthians 13, the treatise of love, which it is. But I believe that the life of Jesus is the living example of that love letter, lived out in the flesh. He left heaven, where he was a ruler and creator and came to earth, lived in poverty, was shamed and despised, mentored a group of ignorant fishermen, whom he poured his life into and became his disciples, then he endured one of the most painful ways to die: Roman crucifixion. Finally, and most importantly he arose so that we might have new life in Him… a free gift to all. He did it for us, so that we can be set free! Now that’s love…love that wants to release us from all the chains, bondages and addictions the world, our flesh, and the enemy of our soul, throws our way.

To all the Whitney’s of this world, I pray you come to know the power of God’s love. It’s strong enough to break those bondages in which you are entrapped. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s available to you. To learn more about this read a free sample chapter of Transformed—Inspiring Stories of Freedom and/or Letters to God, on a Prodigal Son—Overcoming Addiction Through Prayer.

What Can We Do About Addiction?

It's such a beautiful day today outside in contrast to all the sad news on Yahoo. It's got me thinking aobut Amy Winehoouse's death...just 27 years old. Do I think she died of a drug overdose? Yes, even though the articles say it's not.I don't believe them. If not an overdose, I'll be surprised if drugs weren't in the mix. Anyway, we lose thousands of both young and old people to drugs, not only by death, but in robbing  people of full lives. America and the World is losing it's war on drugs, if there ever really ever was one. Why?

Of course there are many factors...kids, teens, young adults with too much time, too much at their disposable, too much focus on the external and achieving, too much freedom and not enough of God in people's lives. Unfortunately religion is at fault too. Jesus was not religious. He was about relationships. Our small little community church has tapped into that. Kids, teens, adults...it doens't matter who you are need relationships, but many have gone sour in the good ole USA. So why is religion partly responsible?

We, they, I'm not pointing fingers because we make up the collective of what is termed The United States. We've gone out of focus like a blurry photograph. We're ot seeing thngs clary if we're not in relationship with God. For some of you that struck a nerve for others an Amen. We need God in our lives. He's the one who desinged life and without Him it's pretty obvioius we're messing up--badly! We need God as our heavenly father, mentor and guide to the universe.

We live in such a big world these days it's sometimes difficult for us to mange living in it, but if we can climb up on our Father's lap, we'll find love and comfort there.So that's going to eliminate drug use? No entirely of course, but it would ceratinly help for kids and teens to know that they're not just plopped here to burn out and do whatever they want...that leads to excess and eventually depression and emptiness.

We need God, not religion, but a meaningful relationship with God...and not just the old man upstairs or the benign ruler. We need to know the fullness of God, the majesty and awesomeness of God that will knock the complasency out of religion and get us into our communties connecting with youth and those in need...not just to help them on a social level, but let's get down to their real needs...not just their physical needs for food, clothing and shelter, but the cry of humanity for meaning.

Sartre, camus and the other existentialists I read in college left me empty handed and they continue to do so. We need to give our youth and the Amy Winehouse's of today something meatier to chew on...not just the nebulous force of "Star Wars" or the life giving prana of Eastern religion, though there is a form of peace and godliness, we need to get back to pure religion...right relationship with God. Tell me what you think.