by Shaw, McMurry, and TAC Team
“Well, she just hasn’t hit rock bottom yet. Let her go. She’s going to hit a rock bottom one of these days…”
There are people who have false hope in that line of thinking.
The “Hitting Rock Bottom” phrase is the idea that somebody is going to hit a specific consequence. A personal lowest point ever with the thought that they cannot go any lower…they have nowhere to go but up.
But this is a dangerous teaching.
Why?
Vague But Very Common Sayings
CJ McMurry had this to say about where this rock bottom concept leads:
“If [addicted persons] keep going down the road… if they keep “digging”, it will go deeper. The rock bottom doesn’t necessarily end if someone wants to keep pursuing their own way.”
He also has concerns for how vague the concept really is.
How do you measure rock bottom? Is it different for everybody? It’s very cliché, misleading, and very dangerous, said McMurry.
As he trains and commissions addictions biblical counselors through The Addiction Connection he warns:
“If a counselor says to a hurting family member of a loved one in addiction, “Hey, I think you’re just going to have to wait ‘til your son or daughter hits Rock Bottom…” and then they go out and OD and die… that’s the scary part. It reminds me of Romans 1:24, ‘Therefore God gave them up or gave them over in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever amen.
Then in Verse 26, For this reason God gave them up or God gave them over in some translations of the Bible to dishonorable passions in verse 28 and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.’”
So family members are hoping that little Johnny or little Susie is going to hit rock bottom and change, but Dr. Shaw adds, “What the Bible says is that God may give you over to that and you may end up with a debased mind. You may end up never repenting or changing and growing.” Hoping for a consequence that is a rock bottom that will bring change can sometimes be a false hope.
Phrases that Might Lead People Astray
Letting people go so that they can go hit their theoretical Rock Bottom is not loving. It is a dangerous and erroneous idea to promote. It brings false refuge.
We speak the truth in love at The Addiction Connection, and the leadership found in our network of biblically minded residential programs regularly call people to repent. We believe the Holy Spirit has to do a work of granting this person repentance to acknowledge the truth of their condition.
2 Timothy 2:25b-26 “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (ESV)[1]
The Holy Spirit might use circumstances to bring about conviction and even righteous guilt against a Holy God that would lead to repentance; however, the Holy Spirit always uses Scripture to bring about heart level conviction and righteous guilt against a Holy God that produces repentance and godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10) that is not regretted because it brings lasting change and newness of life.
The Holy Spirit determines rock bottom when He transforms the heart from a heart of stone into a Spirit-filled heart ready to obey and please the one true God first and foremost.
Didn’t the Prodigal Son in the Bible Hit Rock Bottom?
In this passage the parable that Jesus is telling, the son who went away and spent all his inheritance on his pleasures is commonly called the prodigal son. But it wasn’t his consequences that caused him to “come to his senses” and realized his father’s goodness. God may use consequences in someone’s life, but it is God Himself by His Holy Spirit who does the awakening of the soul to His love, mercy, and forgiveness.
In the book The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective Dr. Shaw says:
You can give your sin as many various labels and diagnoses as you wish, but unless you fully acknowledge the truth of your sin, you have not been granted repentance from God. Think of it. You can repent because God can grant it to you. It’s not your own strength. You can receive forgiveness because your behavior is a sin. It’s not a disease that has attacked you. You can change because the Power of God working in you through the Holy Spirit can give you the ability to do it. He works in you to will and do His good pleasure. You must obey, but your success is a result of His power in Christ Jesus, the Hope of Glory. That’s hope for lasting change![2]
Mark E. Shaw, The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective, p.60-61
Believing a Lie
As the program director at The Refuge in Winterset Iowa, CJ McMurry sees both responses—he sees people run back to their sin with terrible consequences but he also witnesses people who repent and are set free when God grants them repentance.
Romans 2:4 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
Things People Say in AA
Sadly, McMurry says he has had individuals claim they are “not there yet” indicating that they don’t think they have hit their own “Rock Bottom.” He says this type of thinking presumes upon the grace of God that is here and available today. He warns them:
“Today is the day of salvation to turn from your wicked ways and turn to Christ. Don’t wait! I remember living that way as a young man thinking that later on in life, I might do this Christian thing. Later on in life I might wake up and live for Christ but right now I’m going to do this or that.” –CJ McMurry, The Refuge, Winterset, Iowa
He says “later on in life” might not come for those who are running after their addictive behaviors.
Idolatrous Addictive Sin Hurts Others
Dr. Shaw, Founder and President of The Addiction Connection, formerly worked in rehab facilites, outpatient MAT clinics (Medication assisted Treatment centers) and also faith based residential care. He has witnessed the deadly destruction that addictive sins leave in its wake:
“Idolatrous addictive sins don’t just hurt the person who is using. Other people—sometimes innocent victims in a car accident—are affected for the rest of their lives.”
So he warns others that Rock Bottom is just a myth.
When you place your faith and trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of all your sins, Dr. Shaw says, including the sin of drunkenness, you can be transformed for eternity. You won’t end up in the real, everlasting rock bottom which is the eternal pit called Hell that God has reserved for the devil and all his angels and all those who do not repent of their rebellion against Him.
Don’t Wait for Rock Bottom
We want you to be set free from lies that might lead you astray.
The Bible sounds controversial because of the contrast with what the world promotes. We want you to think accurately and biblically about everything in life.
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Dr. Shaw’s resources are found at Focus Publishing and Christian Book Distributors. He can also be found at amazon.com/author/markeshaw
The Addiction Connection is Here for You!
The Addiction Connection is a network of ministries who offer the hope of transformed lives through Jesus Christ for anyone struggling with addiction of any kind. Our network of encouraging resources, ministries, and biblical programs that stretch across America and the world will always point people to Jesus Christ and the Word of God for answers.
Launch an Outreach Today
Do you want to start a Biblical outreach to those in addiction? Check out this disciple-making curriculum for those in addiction entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
Your church can reach out to families of those in addiction using this 12-week curriculum Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study
Need Help?
The Addiction Connection offers hope and healing to those struggling with addiction. Start your search for biblical programs here.
Consider contacting one of our Commissioned Addictions Biblical Counselors who are available to help you.
Residential Programs for addiction that we recommend.
Non-residential Programs (weekly addiction meetings) that we recommend.
- Looking for biblical addiction counseling training? Find out about our Commissioning Program HERE.
- Are you a leader who wants to help those who are addicted? Check out this disciple-making curriculum we created just for you entitled Next Steps: Be TRANSFORMED.
- Looking for addiction resources, courses, curriculum? Find out more HERE.
- Are you more of a podcast-listener-while-you-get-things-done? The Addiction Connection Podcast is just for you!
[1] Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.
[2] Mark E. Shaw, The Heart of Addiction: A Biblical Perspective, (Bemidji: Focus Publishing, 2008, 2018) 60-61.