“The first one is free!”

How can you resist a sales pitch like that? And yet, it is just that; a sales pitch. Someone is pitching a fastball to you. And if you swing at it, you will surely strike out.

The first one is free. That is what the man told me when I took my first hit of cocaine. He might as well been saying, “Step right up fool, welcome to your new life of addiction.”

With all controlled substances, the endgame does not resemble the beginning. You start off with your first euphoric inhale; the world is great. But by the time you realize where you are and what you’ve become; it is usually not such a great state of being.

From first use, to abuse, to addiction; it is a vicious downward spiral. You start off with the belief that you are in control, but by the end of this ride, the controlled substance is in full control. You have crossed over the invisible line that separates drug abuse to drug addiction.

Many addicts don’t even realize that they crossed over that line; from drug abuser to drug addict until it is too late. That is exactly what happened to me; weekend drug user, became daily drug abuser, became hopeless drug addict.

But, just because you find yourself addicted and out of control, you don’t have to live the rest of your life under the command of drugs. I found a way out and my life is no longer under the rule of cocaine or any other drug.

There was a popular song back in 1971; One toke over the line sweet Jesus… It is the story of the man who crossed over from abuser to addict. And even though the songwriters (Brewer & Shipley) probably weren’t making a spiritual reference to Jesus in their song; Jesus is the One who can reverse the downward spiral of addictions and put your life back on the right track.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10

Jesus rescued me from a life of addiction and gave me a successful future. He did it for me and He can do it for you. He offers you a way away from addictions.