Addiction is a Prison, but Wisdom Holds the Keys to Freedom

Addiction is a Prison, but Wisdom Holds the Keys to Freedom
New Group Study Offers Hope to Addicts at the Crossroads of Recovery

To walk with an addict is both a gift and a grief. What begins as a temporary escape can become a permanent prison, engulfing the live of the addict and those who love them. Every addict eventually finds themselves at a crossroads, and in his newly released curriculum Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction, author Ed Welch states that the answer to addictions is found at the cross.

In his newly released curriculum Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction, author Ed Welch reveals the common problem in the heart of every addict. "We are all cut from the same cloth. All of us, if we are truly honest, would have to acknowledge a familiarity with that tug of addictions," Welch states. "There is a lot of wanting in the human heart. The desire for drugs, alcohol, sex, and food are the more dramatic ones, but they aren't fundamentally different from our cravings for comfort, significance, relationship, money, love, and so on. Try to find one person who has successfully and consistently said no to any of those wants. You won't succeed."

Crossroads builds on the theological truths laid down in Welch's previous book Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave and was designed as a group study for those struggling with addiction. These ten steps, presented in Welch's trademark direct, no-nonsense style, provide a biblical framework for change. Welch is a wise and loving partner who walks beside readers on their journey to freedom. Along the way, they will learn to recognize the patterns of addiction, to choose wisdom over foolish desires, and to cling to the hope they have in Jesus, who sets captives free. The path away from addiction has been laid by a God who is full of surprises, who pursues them even as they have avoided Him.

Welch's definition of addiction as "voluntary slavery" distinguishes Crossroads from other recovery programs. Though many have approached the topic from a Christian perspective, most of the Christian literature currently available struggles to combine both the voluntary and enslaved aspects of addictions. "Some of the people who will work through this study will begin as those who love their addiction more than anything else-and there is a voluntary element that must be addressed there. Most resources usually emphasize the enslaved aspect, glossing over the voluntary nature of addiction in the process. My goal was to highlight both," Welch says.

In both the study guide and facilitators guide Welch guides leaders and addicts through the process of loving, connecting with, and speaking truth to each other. The facilitators guide contains helpful observations about the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual state common to most addicts. With access to Welch's solid theology of addiction and years of counseling experience, counselors, pastors, and others with a heart for hurting people can play an active role in God's restorative work in the lives of those enslaved to an addiction.

To learn more, visit newgrowthpress.com