KFLCC Kingdom Economics

Breaking the Spirit of Poverty and Lack

the person is addicted to street drugs, such as crack or meth, the costs are even higher. At times I think people never sit down and consider how much they spend on habits each month. Then when they can’t make their monthly obligations, when utility bills go unpaid and groceries cannot be purchased, they wonder where their money went. This is why drug addicts are often thieves. The crimes they commit to get money to buy drugs will oftentimes land them in prison. Great job opportunities are rare for those who have served time in prison for a felony conviction. A person who persists in these habits should be certain to have good hospital and life insurance, as later in life it is quite possible they may get certain forms of cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, emphysema, or a loss of brain activity. Smoking just one cigarette can take several minutes off your life. A police and former drug enforcement officer in my home town said that there are eight million people in America addicted to meth-amphetamines, and only six percent fully recover from their addiction. Ninety six percent of those who turn to Christ, receive the redemptive covenant, and follow the Scriptures recover from the addiction. My heart breaks when I see someone addicted to drugs. Addictions will bring lack, suffering, and poverty to the abuser. There are many good places in the nation that deal with addictions, and people are willing to help anybody who is willing to become whole, healed, and delivered through prayer, counseling, building new friendships and relationships, and the power of the Holy Spirit. 4. The Addiction of Gambling Many Americans are addicted to gambling, called by the professional name of “the gaming industry.” When I fill up my vehicle with gasoline, I often see people handing out five, ten, or twenty dollars and more to purchase a roll of cards, hoping to scratch off a big hit. One store manager told me about a man who spent $300 for cards and won fifty dollars. The fellow was jumping for joy. He was excited that he gave away $250 to win $50. If you told these people that you’d like to make a deal with them—give me a hundred dollars and I will give you back twenty—they would laugh and say, “You think I’m crazy?” Yet they turn over this kind of money for gambling because they believe that one day they will beat the odds.

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