Opioids attach to receptors in the brain. Normally we were created to experience very small amounts of opioids naturally in the body like dopamine. Once attached, they send signals to the brain of the "opioid effect" which blocks pain, slows breathing, and has a general calming and anti-depressing effect. This is the way God designed the human body and natural opioids provide mild pleasure. The body itself cannot produce enough natural opioids to stop severe or chronic pain nor can it produce enough to cause an overdose. But, human-kind being the way we are, discovered a way to overload the body’s natural system. We take substances from plants like opium [heroin] and synthetic chemicals to exaggerate these effects beyond what God originally intended. Something that was originally designed to be natural... and good in the right balance, becomes destructive instead of beneficial...
This is indeed a terrible crisis afflicting our state and nation. We need to pray for God’s protection and for those who are trapped in this cycle of self-destruction. However, this is not my Sermon topic today… it was only meant to lead into a more serious crisis that has been going on for thousands of years. It isn’t a physical opiate crisis… it is a spiritual opiate crisis. This problem isn’t new because Paul himself faced it almost 2000 years ago. Let’s see what it is, and how it works.
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