_______________________________________ Eleven years ago Jesus proved to me that He was the only higher power that would or could free me from alcohol addiction. From a constant party animal and a daily bourbon drinker, alcohol took me straight to hell and was leading me towards an early grave. Problem was that I tried and failed to quit many times as most addicts and alcoholics attempt. I went to the 12 steps programs and I sought sobriety, but relapse always followed when trials slammed into my life. I could not cope with life. It was not the programs that failed, but my trust in the power of illegitimate gods. When I placed my trust in Jesus, I was set free immediately. The main reason I drank heavily was because of the consequences of my alcoholism. Think of it this way: my partying lifestyle led me to make bad choices that rendered bad consequences that caused serious problems for my life. Loss of relationships (friends/lovers), loss of jobs, and loss of stability are examples of such consequences. The only way I could cope with those problems was to drink. Then the drinking would cause more problems. A literal self-destructive downward spiral. I spent a decade living life running from God and rebelling against God’s will. For that time what did I gain exactly? I became a raging alcoholic as a result. Alcohol became my god for a time, but in the words of Ozzy Osbourne, “demon alcohol...would never set me free...it consumed my soul”. Unlike Ozzy I found a source to freedom that I never found in anything else. Instantaneous lasting freedom in Jesus Christ. So today I am giving glory to God for eleven years sobriety as to honor the One that set me free and declare His power to the nations. I know beyond a shadow of doubt that eleven years ago I never believed this would be possible and with only a tiny seed of faith God gave me instant peace. Thank you, Father God, for rescuing me. I did not deserve it and I certainly could not earn it, but you gave me g...
