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Can Faith help people overcome alcohol addiction?
Numbers 6:2-3 (New Living Translation)“
If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way, 3 they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins”
“Addiction is hard to overcome. As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life,” President Bush said during a visit yesterday to the Jericho Program, a project of Episcopal Community Services of Maryland that helps former prisoners deal with problems such as drug addiction. “I understand addiction, and I understand how a changed heart can help you deal with addiction.” Bush for some time now has testified to the nation that he credits his faith for him being able to overcome his battle with alcohol addiction. Coming from the most powerful man in the world, those are some welcome words for those facing similar problems.
So what should our position as Christians be since we know the many sorrows that drunkenness causes? I personally believe that although a Christian may be free to drink moderately as long as they do not become drunk, we should not allow our liberty to be a license to sin, nor should we do anything that would cause a brother to stumble’ {1 Corinthians 8:9: “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.”} We must all give an account of ourselves before our Lord. Would it not be pleasing to God if we loved others enough to give up those things we could have, for a greater cause? Would it not be a more powerful witness to others in our age to stand out as one who did not drink alcoholic beverages just because we had no need to do so? I am indeed convinced that Faith can and does help anyone dealing with an addiction.
So, what do you think? Can a person’s faith help them deal with their addictions? Is there anyone out there that doesn’t believe that Faith can help a person overcome their addiction demons? Anybody out there brave enough as President Bush who would be willing share with our bloggers your own battle with addiction and how your faith helped you overcome?
Comments
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By KDF
January 30, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this
For DBS: I don’t agree fully with your entry about the Trib’s News/Religeon idea, but I do appreciate your contribution. Thank you.
As to this article on Faith and Addiction, I must agree with the Pastor. I am a recovering alcoholic, have been for many years, this time for over 2 and a half years. Through my many years of drinking, through the fogs, I always knew that Jesus Christ is who he says he is, and when I was near trails end, it always helped me to remember that he was by my side, and that the Holy Spirit was doing his best to bring me back. Only by Jesus’ grace and that great big Heavenly heart, I finally pulled around. It took a medical condition to do this, and this condition is terminal, but the peace I have gained is beyond anything I have known.
This world would be much better without alcohol or drugs. Do I care who drinks? No, not at all. It is legal and many folks handle it well. But take drugs and alcohol off the streets and you will see stronger families and stronger people who see things clearly. Faith is the only thing to truly save me. As we say in AA, the cork is back in the bottle for me, and I pray it never comes out again!!!
By Nelson
January 30, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
I have either stopped or resolved to stop many things during the course of my life. Some were easy, others have not been. Quitting smoking for me was a breeze. I decided to stop and did. I knew that I was being led to quit drinking and it has taken multitudes of loss in my life for me to make that decision. So many times I prayed for deliverance and it never came. Was God not listening? I believe now that I was healed a soon as I spoke the words, but I had to make the decision. Until I submitted my will to God and gave Him the authority in my life, His hands were tied. Until I proved my faith by trusting Him completely, He had to wait. With God’s guidance I also sought help at AA. One of the blessings was learning that I am not the only one, I have heard so many stories similar to mine. In the last few months my craving for alcohol has disappeared. All the glory for this is due to Him.
By Pastor Joe
January 30, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
This entry is in reference to the comments from Nelson and KDF,
You are an inspiration to all who read your blog responses! Thanks for having the courage to share your stories! I’m sure your testimonies and thoughts will be a welcome source of strength to all who may be be dealing with an addiction.I agree that God will in fact HELP us overcome our addiction, but only after we have made a decision and commitment to break the stronghold.The most powerful words I’ve heard lately is: “DESIRE”,”DECISION”, And “COMMITTMENT”. Those three things will help us overcome any battle we may be struggling with in our lives with the aid of God. If I desire something bad enough, I will make a decision to change it, then commit myself to see it through! Thanks again for your awesome entries fellow bloggers!
By DOC
February 7, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
Dear Pastor Joe,
For me the answer to your question is yes with the caveat that faith without works is dead. I suggest that anyone who has a desire to stop drinking attend Alcoholics Anonymous, make 90 meetings in 90 days and see what happens. God, working through AA, has kept me sober for almost 5 years. Sobriety is a gift and we gotta take care of it because if God can remove my obession to drink, he can sure enough give it back to me.
By CDH
February 10, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
I fell that GOD will take any addition from you if YOU ARE WILLING TO LET GO OF YOUR ADDITION. For myself, I drank very heavily for many year(at least a 12 pack a day and I kept a 1/2 pint under the seat of my truck). Shortly after I gave my life to the Lord I became under strong conviction about my drinking. I ask my Pastor to pray in agreement with me for the Lord to release me from this addition. When I sat down after our prayer I didn’t hear lightning or trumpets. I felt the same as I did before I prayed. The next day on my way home from work I stopped at the same store I stopped at everyday and without thinking about it, I came out of the store with a Pepsi instead of a beer. That was 16 years ago. It was like one day I drank and the next day I didn’t. Now do I think it would hurt me to drink a beer now “NO” but “WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT TO GO BACK TO EGYPT”
By Peter
February 11, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
CDH…Thank you for sharing your testimony. I know exactly where you are coming from. Before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I use to hear stories about how the Lord took away a person’s addiction instantly and I use to say, “all, come on man, ain’t no way that can happen!”, “It takes time to get over come that stuff!” until it happenned to me.
You know, there’s people who pray to the Lord and ask them to heal them from their addictions and when they do it, its kind of like, “I mean, you know if you can”; then there is people who cry out to the Lord! Jesus Please! I know you can heal me! I need your help, I can’t do this alone! That is what gets God’s Attention!, because he knows that the seed has gone into the ground and died and is ready to produce fruit.
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.