Naoko, who was mentioned in the opening article, said of her victory over smoking: "I was able to change my life because I learned the truth about God's attributes and goals." What she learned is found in the Bible. Although the Bible does not mention tobacco, it helps us understand how God views smoking. * For many, this knowledge was the incentive they needed to resist or abandon the habit. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Consider three known harmful effects of smoking and see what the Bible says about them.
Smoking is addictive
Tobacco contains one of the most addictive drugs known -nikotin. It acts both as a stimulant and as a sedative. Smoking delivers nicotine quickly and repeatedly to the brain. Because each train delivers a single dose of nicotine, the average one-pack-a-day smoker inhales the equivalent of about 200 doses per day, a higher dose than any other drug use. This frequent dosage makes nicotine uniquely addictive. Once he is addicted, a smoker experiences withdrawal symptoms when his craving for nicotine is not satisfied.
“You are slaves of the one you obey.”—Romans 6:16
Can you really obey God if you are enslaved by tobacco addiction?
The Bible helps us to have the correct view of the matter when it says: "Do not you know that if you present yourself to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey?" (Romans 6:16) When an individual's thinking and acting is dominated by a craving for tobacco, he soon becomes a slave to degrading practice. But God, whose name is Jehovah, wants us to be free, not just through practices that harm our bodies. (Psalm 83:18; 2 Corinthians 7: 1) Just as one grows in appreciation and respect for Jehovah, he realizes that Jehovah deserves his best, and that he can not give his best to God while remaining enslaved to a deadly habit. This insight helps to give a person the will to resist hurtful desires.
Olaf, who lives in Germany, overcame a 16-year-old cigarette addiction that began at age 12. "The first cigarette seemed like a harmless snowball," he said. "But over the years, it's been a huge avalanche, and once, when I ran out of cigarettes, I was so frustrated that I scraped all the stubs off at Asian, scratched the cigarette and rolled a cigarette with a piece of paper." In hindsight, I can see that it is really shameful. "How did he break the degrading habit of smoking? "The deciding factor was the desire to please Jehovah," he said. "Jehovah's love for people and hope has given me the strength to break this addiction once and for all."
SMOKING DAMAGES THE BODY
"Cigarette smoking ... It has been scientifically proven that it damages almost every organ in the body and increases morbidity and mortality," says the Tabakatlas. It is well known that smoking causes non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease and lung complaints. But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking is also a leading cause of death from communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.
“You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”—Matthew 22:37
Are you showing love and respect for God if you abuse your God-given body by indulging in a defiling habit?
Jehovah God teaches us through His Word, the Bible, to have a fair view of our lives, our bodies, and our abilities. His son, Jesus, pointed this out when he said, "You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and mind." - Matthew 22:37. Obviously, God wants us to use him well in our lives and bodies and to treat them with respect. When we learn about Jehovah and his promises, we love and appreciate everything he has done for us. This motivates us to stay clear of anything that pollutes our bodies.
Jayavanth, a doctor in India, smoked for 38 years. He said, "I learned about the dangers of smoking through medical journals, I knew it was wrong, and I advised my patients to give up, but I could not give it up even though I tried five or six times . "What helped him finally stop? He says, "I quit smoking because I had a Bible study, and the desire to please Jehovah made me give up this habit immediately."
SMOKING HAS OTHER
Exhaling smoke and smoke from smoldering tobacco are poisonous. Inhaling such passive smoking can cause cancer and other diseases, killing 600,000 non-smokers each year, mostly women and children. A WHO report warns: "There is no safe exposure to secondhand smoke."
"You must love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39)
Do you really love your neighbor and your family when you expose them to the dangers of passive smoking?
According to Jesus, the love of one's neighbor - our family, friends and others around us - is the second greatest love of God. "You have to love your neighbor as yourself," he said. (Matthew 22:39) When we follow a habit that hurts our neighbors, we show no charity. True love moves us to follow the admonition of the Bible: "Let everyone continue to seek, not his own advantage, but that of the other person" (1 Corinthians 10:24).
SMOKING EXTINGUISHED FOR GOOD!
Bible knowledge helped Olaf, Jayavanth, and the poor get rid of a degrading habit that hurt them and others. They were successful, not only because they knew that smoking was harmful, but because they loved and loved Jehovah. The living role of love is emphasized in 1 John 5: 3, which says, "This is what the love of God means, that we keep His commandments, and yet His commandments are not incriminating." Of course, following is more biblical Principles may not always be simple, but if a person is moved by a strong love for God, obedience will not be a burden.
Armen, who lives in Armenia, recalls, "Because of their involvement, my family asked me to quit smoking, but I did not want to admit that it could have a bad effect on them." He explains what his point of view "My knowledge of the Bible and the love of Jehovah helped me quit smoking and admit that it was not only harmful but also to those around me."
Through a global education campaign, Jehovah God is helping millions of people free themselves from the enslavement of tobacco. (1 Timothy 2: 3, 4) Very soon Jehovah, through his kingdom - a celestial government under his son Jesus Christ - will eliminate the greedy trading system responsible for the enslavement of millions of tobacco. He will obliterate the smoking epidemic forever and elevate obedient humanity to perfection in body and spirit (Isaiah 33:24). Revelation 19:11, 15.
If you have difficulty quitting smoking, take the courage. As you learn to love Jehovah and appreciate his view of smoking, you can also find the motivation you need to succeed. Gods people are happy to give you practical one-to-one help in learning and applying the Biblical principles. Rest assured that if you want Jehovah's help to be freed from tobacco addiction, you will have the strength and strength you need. (Phil. 4:13).