Just as confidence in our future provides courage in our present, uncertainty about our eternal fate leads to insecurity in this life:

• Over the last 25 years, nearly 40 million Americans have stopped attending church – the most significant decline in any quarter century in our nation’s history.  Since the early 1990s, the percentage of U.S. adults identifying as Christians has dropped 25%.
• Meanwhile, U.S. adults reporting a diagnosis of depression in their lifetimes increased nearly 50% from 2015 to 2023.  The national suicide rate went up 35% from 2000 to 2018.  In 2023, the CDC found that 40% of high school students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
• From 2002 to 2022, drug overdose deaths rose 600%.  In 2020, 17% of Americans over the age of 12 had a substance use disorder.  Cannabis abuse by teens has increased 245% over the past 20 years.

Those statistics are correlated, not coincidental.  Anxiety and insecurity are the primary drivers of substance abuse.  Those without Jesus in their lives are more inclined to turn to drugs and alcohol to alleviate the pain and avoid the reality of hopelessness.

Where America Seeks Solace

Self-medication offers a temporary escape from hardships in this life – and doubts about the next one.  It’s natural for anyone’s performance anxiety to heighten and self-confidence to suffer in crowds, during presentations, or at important meetings.  However, for those not anticipating an eternity with Jesus there’s greater urgency to maximize the value derived from each and every day.  Christians viewing their lifespans on an infinite timeline, and living to glorify God rather than please people, are less likely to need to destress and take the “edge” off after hours “on edge” keeping up appearances.

Also consider when people are most likely to drink – at bars, restaurants, and parties.  Alcohol decreases anxiety and removes inhibitions in social situations.  Drinking at home alone is seen as a sign of alcoholism because if it’s serving no social (anxiety) purpose, then it must be feeding an addiction.  Those questioning whether insecurity is the primary motive for substance use and abuse may argue that people drink and get high in social situations to have more fun – but they have more fun because stress diminishes under the influence.

Unfortunately, I’m well versed in this topic.  As children of an alcoholic and prescription drug addicted mom who abandoned us, all four of my siblings wrestled with substance abuse.  Praise God nearly all have made significant strides in recovery.  The Lord had other plans for me – to turn substance abuse into a mission field.  He put dependent people in my path to disciple, positioned me to protect their children, placed me on Boards of recovery ministries, gave me the opportunity to build the strategic plan for The Salvation Army Tampa Area Command, appointed me to help lead the opioid crisis (Bold Goal) initiative with Humana and USF, and opened doors to speak at churches and ministries that served addicts.  Those experiences confirmed what my childhood taught me – addiction is the result of repeated attempts to alleviate pain, and (with rare exceptions) that pain is primarily psychological and spiritual, not physical.

Rather than running away from suffering and insecurities in my teens, I ran toward Jesus and learned that He truly is the Great Physician who heals all wounds.  Yet with far fewer families discipling or attending church today, children miss the opportunity to learn how to treat pain before it starts.  Meanwhile elementary and high schools teach children they’re cosmic accidents without hope beyond this life – intensifying their pain.  Universities urge students to “think for themselves” and reject the “religion of their parents” – so they begin looking for answers in all the wrong places.  Many already felt hopeless before being steered away from the sole source of hope and healing (Jesus).  Our post-Christian society’s coordinated campaign to reprogram America’s youth encourages alternative anesthetics.  Not surprisingly, the rise of the “Nones” (no religion) and “Dones” (with church) corresponds closely with increases in depression, suicide, and substance abuse – among both teens and adults.

Where We Should Look for Hope

Given that anxiety and insecurity lie at the root of addiction, churches are better suited than secular organizations to alleviate the pain fueling substance abuse.  The eternal hope found only in Jesus and an invitation into a family of believers are the best solutions for all three phases of the path away from dependency – Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery.  And Christ alone offers the opportunity for two other critical milestones along that journey – Reconciliation and Redemption.

However, few church leaders have game plans for addressing substance abuse within their congregations and communities.  Few provide personalized discipleship to surface addictions and deal with deeply imbedded pain.  Few invest much of the diminishing amount of time the average American spends in church talking about weighty, eternal matters.  Sermons and classes about navigating this life are more likely to attract and retain attenders.  We found it difficult to engage pastors in the mounting opioid crisis in Tampa Bay.  Few had it on their radar.  They’d encountered substance abuse in their churches but were unaware of its pervasiveness.  They didn’t know how to get ahead of it either – recognize the signs, approach those who have a problem, or talk about it when members confess addiction.  Their knee-jerk reaction was to refer those “cases” to local agencies, outsourcing responsibilities churches are best positioned (and biblically intended) to handle.

Churches should get educated, equipped, and engaged to lead the way in addressing substance abuse:

1. Reduce the anxiety and insecurity behind America’s drug and alcohol epidemic
2. Understand the facts, share statistics, and discuss the dangers in today’s world
3. Remove the stigma of addiction, encouraging confession and transparency
4. Train staff and lay leaders to notice the signals and speak up proactively
5. Foster a perception of churches as a safe, trusted place to seek help
6. Be prepared to counsel and walk alongside the addicted to the extent possible
7. Equip churchgoers with resources to assist coworkers, friends, and neighbors
8. Offer practical support to families in crisis as a result of substance abuse
9. Research and maintain a vetted list of providers to refer when necessary
10. Acknowledge overcomers and share success stories of recovery journeys

The answer is not requiring signed covenants pledging not to drink.  Jesus and His disciples didn’t abstain entirely.  Instead, be a beacon of light and hope in the darkness.  Until the early 1900s, churches were integrally engaged in the “hope” business: starting hospitals, schools, food banks, rescue missions, orphanages, and recovery ministries that opened ears to hear the Gospel.  The hopeless were drawn to churches, realizing those providing temporal help could be a source of everlasting hope as well.  Church was where America sought – and found – relief from emotional, psychological, and physical pain.  For those who succumbed to substances, churches had the boldness to confront, compassion to support, and expertise to deal with addiction.

It’s Your Turn…

Are you convinced there’s a connection in the U.S. between growing insecurity about our eternal destination, higher rates of depression and suicide, and dramatic increases in substance abuse?