Part 2 of Spiritual Addictions: What is Halt?

Can this be a slightly double post?
My brother is graduating today with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry. He'll continue his studies in Tennessee until he receives his masters.
I'm so proud of you, N!

It's going to be so hard without any brothers in the house! My other brother, Joshua, left a few weeks ago and is living in New Mexico.

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So here's my 'second' post for today.

Review and a bit of clarification

Okay, the long-awaited moment has finally come. Or at least I like to think it was long-awaited...

H – Hungry

A – Angry

L – Lonely

T – Tired

As you read in my previous post on Spiritual Addictions, H.A.L.T. is used in most rehabilitation programs. Now that you know what it means, let me clarify something for you. It’s not a Christian based idea, but I’m looking at it from my own, Biblical point of view.

I think we can consider H.A.L.T. as a safeguard for sin.

A short allegory to illustrate my point

There once was a rich Landowner who bought slaves from a cruel slave driver and set them free. They were ignorant and poor, but he gave them guidance. He read to them from a book which refreshed them and renewed their spirits. He gave them each a piece of land and taught them how to grow plants and tend to animals. They loved the landowner because he had set them free from their pain and poverty and they lived near him, under his kind protection.

But there were those who would try to deceive the people. In a neighbouring village, there lived people enslaved under cruel and hate-filled leaders. These people lived in total darkness and were blind to all sin. These deceived people attempted to lead the now free people astray by telling them that they were still slaves of the Landowner; that he did not love them and only used them for their labor. The newly freed people were weak and listened to these lies occasionally and sometimes they would get a bit homesick. They would long for their former life of slavery because it was comfortable and all they had ever known.

So the Landowner protected his people by laying down boundaries and setting up a strong metal fence enclosing his sweet, green pasture from the other village. The people were prone to folly and often ventured toward the edge of the fence where the grass didn’t grow and the ground was rocky. The Landowner was patient and kind and always forgave his people for their foolishness.

But one day he told the people that he was making a trip to his father’s home and, though he would be gone for a while, they were to wait for his return. He left his book with them and showed them how to read from it. He also wrote them many letters to remind them that he was coming back and to give them hope. The letters also told them what he expected of them and were meant to help them when they were tempted to go into the other land of slavery.

And thus the people waited.

Waiting in sin, yet striving for perfection

As I’m sure you’ve guessed, we are those people.

And we often return to the shameful way of slavery.

I admit that it is so hard to be free from sin. In fact, it is impossible, isn’t it?

Only He can be free from sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8

A ‘safeguard’ for sin

H.A.L.T. is a safeguard for us.

A safeguard from sins.

Just bear with me.

Suppose that the Landowner in the story put up a guideline for his people.

On a small wooden sign, weak and battered, he wrote this:

DANGER!

My children do not return to your evil ways. You are prone to sin and can hurt each other. Remember this in every action, thought, and deed:

Do not proceed if you are any of the following:

Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired

Closing thoughts

Okay, so maybe that’s taking it a little too far. After all, God did not give us H.A.L.T.

But I do believe that it’s a pretty useful tool.

It often stops me in my path and helps me to remember that God does not want me to do any evil.

I also like to think that H.A.L.T. can be speaking spiritually. If you are Spiritually Hungry, Angry...you get the point.

Don’t worry if you’re just a bit confused.

I’m going to keep posting on this—at least that’s my plan for the time being.

The next post will hopefully be on Satisfying Spiritual Hunger, but you never know what I might dish out. Ahem....well.

So, what do you think of H.A.L.T.?