God Cares

HELPING FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ADDICTION    This isn’t what I signed up for!” Most everyone says, or at least thinks, something like that when they discover that someone in their family is stuck in an addiction. It is a nightmare—the opposite of the dreams you had for your family—and as a result, your marriage begins to deteriorate instead of fl ourish, your home becomes fi lled with arguments and fear instead of hope and love, money is wasted, and the future starts to look dark instead of bright. Addiction in the family is a painful experience. Whatever you do, don’t ignore, hide, or deny how tough it is. You are not alone. There are a lot of families that have experienced the same situation. In fact, nearly half of all families in America today are directly affected by addiction! Just as you shouldn’t ignore, hide, or deny how diffi cult living with addiction is, it’s also important to resist the temptation sink into discouragement or anger. How? Turn to God, who loves you intensely and wants to carry you through the struggle and pull you closer to Himself along the way. If given a choice, you would obviously have chosen a different path, but please let God lovingly guide you through this challenge. Psalm 34:18 and 19 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

Discussion 1. Have you opened up to God about your struggle?

2. How have others helped or hurt your situation?

3. In what ways has God carried you through or pulled you close? Scriptures Look up and discuss how the Scriptures below apply to this session’s topic. •    Matthew 11:28 • Hebrews 13:5 • 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4