ecovery includes a multitude of behavioral and process addictions. The truth is that we can become addicted to almost anything when it becomes an obsession, compulsion, or form of idolatry. We all are addicts to something as the result of sin.

In scripture we find that Jesus approached our brokenness wholistically. His mission statement is beautifully summarized in Luke 4:18-19:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Jesus borrowed his mission from Isaiah 61. When Jesus said that the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord was upon him (Isaiah 61:1), that truth became evident at his baptism when the Father declared of Him: “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Too many of us were told instead that we were not enough, that we were not loved just for who we were, but for how we performed. On the other hand, too many of us were instead shamed for who we are, for the color of our skin, our physical makeup, our background and income status, and for many other things.

Isaiah 61 goes on to say Jesus was anointed “to bring good news to the poor.” I would suggest that the “poor” in this context does not only refer to those living in poverty. To be sure, inadequate resources for food, clothing, and shelter, low-paying jobs, and discrimination can constitute true experiences of trauma. “Poor in spirit” also applies to those who have come to the end of trying to manage their own lives without God.

Many of us try to manage our own lives and the lives of others through excessive controlling behavior. We try to manage our own pain through addiction rather than experiencing the “God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Those who are truly poor in spirit are those who have come to the end of trying to manage their own lives and the lives of others. They have admitted their powerlessness and accepted that God is able to do what they cannot. They “let go and let God.”

Jesus was also sent by his Father “to comfort the brokenhearted.” The healing of the wounds of trauma requires that we be seen for who we really are, not for the false self we often project in order to be accepted by others. In being authentic in a safe community, we are soothed or comforted. We then can internalize a sense of safety and become safe for others (2 Corinthians 1:4), and only then can we find true secure attachment in God and with others.

Isaiah further articulates Jesus’ mission “to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” Those who have begun a journey of healing from addiction have accepted that they are captives and prisoners to their addiction. They may have made multiple attempts to stop their addictive practices on their own but failed miserably. True freedom comes only when we are released by the power of God, when we come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to healthy thinking and living.

“He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:2). The losses we experience in life through trauma and addiction must be felt. We cannot sweep them under the rug and expect them to just go away.

The courageous face and embrace their lives as they really have been, and in doing so, mourn the losses they have experienced. It is through the pain of those losses that healing comes. God said that his favor will come to those who are mourning and that a crown of beauty awaits those who have only previously experienced the crumbs and ashes of life.

Many of those whose lives have been devastated by trauma and addiction come to the point of depression and despair. They may have even thought of ending all the pain by taking their own lives. A period of darkness is not at all uncommon for those on a recovery journey. That is why God promises “a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair” (Isaiah 61:3). He goes on to promise that the old ruins of our lives will be rebuilt (v. 4). If you feel this despair, there is hope. It is not the end of your journey but only a beginning. Find a safe community, a therapist, or the suicide prevention hotline (988).

Is your church a safe community for you to find hope and healing? Are there other safe people in whom you can confide? Do you have the courage to go to counseling, if needed?

Just know, you are worth it.