Tiger Woods was a giant. His status as an athlete towered high above other golfers. His professional demeanor, his obvious love for the game he played with little flaw, his humanitarian efforts and his love for his family, displayed without hesitation, made Tiger Woods someone we wanted to know, someone we wanted to be like. But like other giants who would one day fall, Tiger has followed their descent.
This Herculean hero recently admitted to an addiction to sex. In the past few days he added to his list of addictions the drugs Vicodin and Ambien.
Today we can find out so much about the personal lives of not only our hero's but of our next door neighbors simply by googling, tweeting or reading a facebook entry. If one googles "Tiger Woods" and "addiction", thousands of pages will offer their perspective, their thoughts...made up or true...you must decide. But within those thousands and thousands of web pages you will also find those that actually elevated Tiger's status as a giant to one of a demigod. "Whats wrong with being a sex addict?" one blogger cried. Others accepted Tiger's behavior as a matter of course, it is acceptable to come with fame...it is expected to come with fame.
Whether there is any truth in these thoughts I can not tell you. I hope that we have hero's and role models that do not succumb to this behavior, justified by the fame alone. What I can tell you is you don't have to be famous to fall. Addictions are not reserved for the rich and famous, the Beast that is addiction is an equal opportunity spoiler.
I wrote once that every where I looked I saw those that suffered from the consequences of addiction; in my family, at work, at church and in the mirror. I now wonder how many of those may have addictions to multiple behaviors or substances. I wonder, as in the case of Tiger Woods, which came first. Did his addiction to sex and the eventual public revealing of this addiction drive him to seek relief with drugs? Did then his dominate addictive behavior take over again and convince him that he would not survive without the numbing effect the drugs would provide?
I wonder if we all are addicts. Are we all hiding behind a false front, carefully built with a daily routine that conceals what we do at night, what we do in the darkest recesses of our mind? Is this what God had in mind we He gifted us with free-will?
No.
Stopping will not be easy, for Tiger Woods or any of the thousands of other who fight a daily battle. Regardless of their belief, Buddhism, Zoroastrian, agnostic or Christian, without faith they will not stop, they will not change. And one day they will fall.
I believe that only with faith in Jesus Christ will we change. This change, this re-generation, this new birth begins the moment we accept Christ as our Savior. I cannot tell you what in us changes, only that a change begins. Your addiction will still be there, the fight to stop will be fought on even tougher battle fields.The desire to go numb again will be real. The consequences of addiction that have damaged relationships, developed physical pains and ended careers will not miraculously heal. But there is change.
First, you are not alone...Christ is by your side.
Second, you may fail, but you will never fall. Your life is held in the hand of Christ.
John 10:28-"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."
I hope you will pray and ask for forgiveness, ask Him to be your Father, accept His gift of forgiveness and eternal life, take His hand. That is what I hope for, what I do is pray.
Jim
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