Editor's Note: The following essay was recently written by a Christian who is graduating from a residential drug residential treatment program based on the 12-step process. It is hoped that this essay will inspire and motivate others looking to overcome an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
I write this for myself, as well as my loved ones, who have been subjected to my using, and have loved me enough to suffer along with me for years until GOD has relieved me of the obsession to use drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.
Not
too long ago I heard a man say that his drug of choice was not worth the ink to
even write to and I totally agree with him. So I write this to you LORD, to my
family, love ones and to myself.
For
more years than I care to remember, my drug use and the lifestyle that goes
along with it, has taken so many things away from me that are irreplaceable.
When I speak of these things it is not the tangible items, such as cars, money,
clothes, or household goods. No, I speak of wasted time, energy, relationships
gone bad, and repossessed Blessings that were from GOD!
Today,
with GOD’S Direction, Grace, Mercy, and Second chance’s, He has brought me from
destruction to reconstruction. Today He is revealing His purpose for my life. And
for this I praise you FATHER.
The
things that were lost - tangible and non-tangible, I have faith that The GOD
that I serve today shall replace and restore them in HIS time and according to
his purpose!
Today
I realize that I am not cured and all I have is a daily reprieve contingent on
the daily maintenance of my spiritual condition and conditioning. Every day is
a day that I must carry the vision of GOD’S will into all my activities and
interactions with others.
The
choices that we make in life determine our destiny. So today
I choose hope instead of dope. And life instead of death. I choose relationships
instead of isolation. And I choose to live life on life’s terms.
In 2009, Whitney Houston's comeback from a bad marriage and drug addiction was underway. With the release of her CD and the single "I Didn't Know My Own Strength", it was hoped that Whitney had once again returned to her thrown as the Queen of Pop. Unfortunately, in the meantime, her road to recovery, like many others with addiction problems, was paved with many potholes. And on Saturday, February 11, Whitney came to the end of her road.
What is truly sad about Whitney's fall from grace is that she was a believer who lost her way. While it is too late for Whitney to start a New Life Today, perhaps her life can serve as a lesson to us all.
Below are some Bible verses that will hopefully help other Christians who are trying to Start a New Life free from drugs and alcohol:
Lesson #1: Our Strength Comes from God
Isaiah 40:28-30 (NIV)
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Lesson #2: Your Body is a Temple
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 Do you not know that
your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Lesson #3: Don't Get Drunk
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lesson #4: We are Not of this World
Romans 12:1-3 (NIV)
1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to
offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this
is your true and proper worship. 2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For those Christians struggling to overcome a drug and/or alcohol addiction, remember Philippians 4:13 (KJV): "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." With the Lord's help, we accomplish anything. Unfortunately, it appears that Whitney forgot this. It appears that instead of looking up, should looked inward. And I am certain that she, like other addicts who have lost their way have found, overcoming addiction requires more than self-control. To overcome addiction, one must rely on God's strength.
(Photo: Reuters/Ygal Levi)
Whitney Houston emerges from the waters of the River Jordan during a Holy Land pilgrimage, May 29, 2003.
Please support Ms. Adejumo and all the work she has been doing over the
years to help survivors of drunk driving accidents and prevent DWI. Buy
her book, or purchase something from her store, or send a donation to
her Foundation.
Her story is a compelling one. Her son, "Mitchie" Mitchell, was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 3 as a result of an automobile accident. His biological father was driving - drunk! "Mitchie" passed away at the age of 21 in January 2008.
Starting today, February 7, and for the first Tuesday of the month for the remainder of 2012, New Life Today Blog will publish a prayer for Ms. Adejumo's book.
I am certain that all who read
Ms. Adejumo's prayers will be blessed:
Father in Heaven, thank You for waking me up this morning and
giving me another day to praise Your Name.
I do not know the day You will take me home, Father,
but I do know I want to go home with You on that day.
Teach me humility,
so that I walk with You and live a life that is pleasing in Your eyes.
I want to have an unbroken relationship with You, Father.
Mark 13:32 (NIV) The Day and Hour Unknown 32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." ~Mark Twain
Regardless of age, marital status, or stage in life, we all have our own
set of concerns. Parents have a long list of worries ranging from potty
training to paying off college debt. Singles worry about traveling
life's journey alone. Senior citizens worry about declining health
issues. Financial concerns rank high on the worry list, and some
families struggle to keep afloat. Teenagers worry about peer
acceptance, grades, and choosing a career. The list is endless for
every age group.
Worry is rooted in fear and is usually related to a deep concern of what
will or will not happen in the future. Worry can keep us up at night
and send anxiety levels soaring. Like a thief in the night, worry robs
us of our peace and joy.
So much of what we worry about never happens. Worry does nothing to
better the outcome of a situation or change the course of action. The
distress that accompanies worry may do more harm than the actual thing
which we worry.
Some of us are living way below par of what God desires for us. God
understands our struggles with worry, and He does not condemn us. Jesus
tells us not to worry about tomorrow and live one day at a time.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34 NIV)
We are not promised tomorrow. It is important to make the most of every
day God gives us. Worry is a waste of valuable time -- precious
moments, sunny days, and productive hours -- that we will never get
back.
Excessive worry may be a sign that we are moving away from our
dependence on God. Prayer and Bible study help quiet our minds and
diminish our fears. A daily walk with Jesus is essential in helping to
minimize worry. Trust Jesus, for He is trustworthy.
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You." (Psalm 56:3 NIV)
God makes provision for our future. He walks alongside us, hand in hand,
as we make our journey ahead. We are in capable hands. He promises to
be with us always, and to strengthen and sustain us during times of
adversity.
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never
leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
(Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV)
Prayer
Father, many of us are plagued by worry and fear. Replace worry with
joy and peace. Replace fear with faith and love. Help meet the needs
of families who have college debt and financial concerns. Stretch forth
your healing hand to senior citizens and those with health concerns.
Bring Godly relationships into the lives of singles. Provide guidance to
teenagers and parents alike. In Jesus name. Amen.
Lord, today we come to You seeking refuge in Your Word because
incidences are happening to us that we do not understand. We know in our
hearts that You only want what is best for us and You will exalt us in
due time.
However, our minds are confused because we are struggling to solve our
own problems. So Lord, we ask You to give us the peace that surpasses
all understanding as we cast our burdens on You.
In Your Word You said You would never leave us nor forsake us. Your
presence means everything to us. So help us to focus on You while we are
going through our challenges.
Despite the consequences, we give You the praise, the glory, and the
honor You so rightly deserve. We praise You because You know all things
and nothing is hidden from Your sight. Since we are praying according to
Your will, we know You hear us and You will grant us what we asked for.
So now we have all confidence in You and believe You will do just what You said. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Some time ago, I had been going through really difficult times mentally.
Most of my life my emotions had been low, and this particular year had
seen many difficulties, and I was in a particular low, a darker time
than I had known in many, many years, if ever. Both in situations, and
also within myself. I had no where to go inside.
I was sitting and writing one day, and I heard the Lord speak to me. I
hadn’t heard him in so long, but I knew it was him. It was an inner
voice, but with it came a wonderful change and joy.
He said to me that he was my Sunny Day.
I had been writing to someone about the weather here in Oregon. All my
life I grew up where it was hot and sunny and I was known to love
sunniness. Weather that was hot didn’t bother me, I just loved it.
I was affected by moving here because it is always rainy, and I was speaking about this to someone in a letter.
It had cast a darkness and gloom over me, the weather, but the Lord with that word, split it aside.
The weather, the natural weather became the happiest thing in my life. The more rain, the happier I felt. I loved it.
Dark for days? No problem, I loved it.
The weirder, the hazier, the gloomier, the sweeter it became for me, as
that word remained in me, and I knew the natural weather was not my
sunniness, Jesus was.
And it was a lot more than just knowing that, he made it that way.
It’s now about a year later. I woke up this morning with the Sunshine of
Jesus Christ all over me. The joy of the Lord filled my being.
I thought, oh Lord, what it is like for people that don’t know you. More
than that, I felt for people, I felt what it is like for people who do
not know Jesus, and as I lay in my bed upon awakening, I knew what it is
like for people who are blessed with his precious presence.
The Light of God surrounds me. The Sunshine fills my air. Dew and mist gently are there.
More than anything, Jesus is my Sunny Day and today as I see him there,
his light, his presence, it is a wonderfully Sunshiney Day.
I can feel his warmth all over me. Warmth and healing, peace and joy. I
know if there is anything wrong, it is okay, it is in his hands. I am
utterly at peace as if basking in the sun, without a care in the world,
peacefully resting and getting my rays.
When I felt the Lord that way, I could realize how people who don’t know
him, need him. So I wanted to write about life with him.
Life without him is a dark and gloomy day. Storms without him are furious and turmoil.
But when we have asked Jesus to come into our lives and we believe the
best we can and keep turning to him, we’ll see his day. He’ll become our
Sunny day.
When the Lord touched my life with his word about him being my Sunny
Day, it didn’t take long to figure out that that was the natural day,
but also in the day within me.
My moods and emotions, people’s actions and situations, all make up an atmosphere that affects my day.
Life can provide problems on-going that seem like clouds are forever
over me, but I am here to tell you that Jesus is all in control of my
days.
He is my Light, and the clouds of circumstance part at his appearing.
If they are present, I still know from within who the Sunshine is, and
that he will appear, so I always have hope. I praise Him.
It is overcast outside but my joy wells up within me. My Sun shines all around me. My feelings come from him.
He parts the atmosphere of circumstance and we walk out in another Day.
And the Light on us is not the circumstances of gloominess, but the
Light of our God and his Son, his joy and peace, and healing.
It is okay in my world. My failures are not my burden. The One who made
this very Day I am in also has everything else in his hands.
I awoke this morning and am still at wonder of our Wonderful God. That
he would give me something so wonderful as his precious presence.
Nothing in my life is worthy of him. Yesterday was a day full of tensions and difficulties and problems.
The clouds he has parted, none of it affects me, and I just find, I love Him. It is not an effort, I can’t help but love Him.
If your life seems to overwhelm you, ask Jesus to come into your life.
Ask him to come into your very heart and live there forever.
We give over a life that can not make us happy, and by asking him in, we
receive a life that is from him and we share his happiness with him.
We have fellowship with our Creator. And he loves us and he walks with us and we aren’t alone.
Nothing in this world is like that. Jesus is my Sunny Day.
And he didn’t just give himself to me. He gave himself to all of us. I can’t help but want to share about him.
It is not for just a few to know him. I didn’t do anything to deserve
the Lord. But he gave himself to me, and to you, and for all of us, and
he is there for all of us to turn to no matter what our circumstances
are, no matter how big, no matter how we feel about them or ourselves,
he wants to share his life with us.
He wants us to come to him. And he wants to be our Sunshining Day
My name is Kathleen Angell. My life was dramatically changed when the Lord made Himself real to me. My website is
christiannews.highpowersites.com. We take testimonies out door to door and feed the poor as the Lord provides.
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run
swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be
delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. 3
But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the
evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that
you do and will do the things we command you. 5 Now may the Lord direct
your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. 2
Thessalonians 3:1-5 NKJV
It’s all about the Lord, isn’t it? Everything is the Lord’s. He rules
over it all. He is the one guiding our hearts toward Him. He gives us
our very breathe. He provides for our every need. He guards us against
the evil one. We do none of this on our own.
God is faithful. He will establish you. This section of scripture
reminds me of 1 Peter 5:10: “But may the God of all grace, who called us
to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while,
perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” After you have
suffered a while it says. We can conclude suffering is part of growth
journey. There are some things we can never learn without suffering.
In my own journey, I had to suffer the consequences of poor choices. I
had many expectations in life, none of which came out the way I
envisioned. I was disappointed most of the time. Then, again, I
believe most perfectionists are disappointed constantly. It’s a sad
condition to live in. As I became more critical of others and cynical
about life, I resented everyone and I allowed bitterness to take up
residence in my heart. I didn’t handle things well before and it
brought me more pain, than I ever imagined.
During times of suffering, God is there, eager to show himself faithful,
loving and kind. All He asks is for us to turn to Him, trust Him and
He will lead us out of the difficulty, whatever it may be. I can say He
was there for me. When I finally could stand no more of my life,
sobbing in the shower one morning, I prayed “Jesus, I’ve messed up my
life! Help me! The bible says You died for my sins and rose again to
give me a new life. Please come into my life and give me a new life.
Amen.” I didn’t know how my life could ever be good again, but a
wonderful peace came over me anyway. He was there waiting for me to
turn to Him. He was faithful to answer my prayer.
Lord, thank you for wanting to come into our lives and heal us from our
poor choices. Thank you for your faithfulness to answer our prayers.
Thank you for dying for our sins and rising again to give us a new life
in Christ Jesus. Amen.
God will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. The Bible
teaches us this, but the Spirit of God living in us, confirms it in our
own lives. He did for me. He will for you. Are you trusting God
today? If not, ask Him to convince you how good He is. He will not
disappoint!
Copyright Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions, has a heart for encouraging believers with God's Word. Please visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com for more devotions, bible studies, book reviews and more!
I write this for myself, as well as my loved ones, who have been subjected to my using, and have loved me enough to suffer along with me for years until GOD has relieved me of the obsession to use drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.
