My daughter Annabel,
A total of 131,841 drug addicts have been registered in
Malaysia between January 2010 and February 2016. Papa is burdened for young
people nowadays. Among them are youth aged 19 and below amounted to 8,732
people, that’s the ones that we know of, reported cases. But how about those
youth in rural areas? Papa read news last year that one in four students in
Sarawak's most northern district of Lawas have been found to be taking drugs. It
seems that drug dealers are now targeting youths and students. Oh Anna, nothing
can break papa’s heart when I think about this… God saves Malaysia!
Last month papa did a motivational talk at boy’s home, I chatted
with them after that. Most of them said they taking drugs due to peer influence
and out of curiosity. Dr. Tam Cai Lian, lecturer from Monash University said it
well: “Research shows that the social pressure to belong, to be accepted, and
to be part of a social group, especially in teenagers, prompts them to conform
to their peer group, and start trying out drugs. That’s how it usually begins.”
Be careful to avoid the people and the places that can entrap your spirit and
destroy your life.
The
dictionary defines addiction as “the
compulsive need for a habit-forming substance; the condition of being
habitually and compulsively occupied with something.” Well, that definition is accurate, but
incomplete. For us, Christ followers, addiction has an additional meaning: it
means compulsively worshipping something other than God.
Anna, papa know that you’re a very responsible woman. But
as your father, I need you to know this: don’t
get addicted to something that destroys your health or your sanity. Ours is
a society that glamourizes the use of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and other addicted
substances. Movies and social media are indirectly promoting it, but never fall
into temptations. “Since you are tempted
without ceasing,” writes Charles H. Spurgeon, “pray without ceasing.” When it comes to the trap of addiction, my
daughter, it is easier to stay out than it is to get out. Yes, help is
available. Plenty of people have experienced addiction and lived to tell about
it… but you don’t have to experience it,
in order to learn from it. Take heed now, learn from people’s examples, hold on
to God’s Word, care for your body and mind, and be mindful of the destructive
power of addiction.
But I do encourage you to
be addicted to these things: praying and helping others, fellowship with the
Believers and make friends in school, reading the Bible and mediate on it day
and night, go for physical exercise and learn to have fun :)
P.s: Papa will be home
this Sunday. We’ll go to Kuching Food Fest ya
Love you baby,
Richard
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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