Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook (8 page)

D
Do you become
defensive
or argumentative about your usage?

E
Do you fail to get in touch with your
emotions
because of your usage?

P
Is your
physical
health affected by your usage?

E
Do you
enjoy
only functions where alcohol or other drugs are available?

N
Is your
need
for the substance affecting your finances?

D
Do you
deny
that you experience any consequences from your habit?

E
Do you
evade
difficult situations by indulging in your habit?

N
Is your
need
to feed your habit affecting your relationships?

T
Is your
tolerance
level for the substance getting higher?

If you answered yes to five or more of the above questions, you may have a serious dependency. Isaiah 5:22 says, “Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks.”

Q:
Is alcoholism an inherited disease over which a person has no control?

A
. Medical professionals continue to debate whether or not alcoholism is a disease. Because of the strong and lasting changes alcohol can have on the brain and other organs, many consider it a disease. Others take the position that it is more behavioral.

A disease is
an abnormal condition of the body
caused by…
⁴

• infection (i.e., catching the flu or smallpox from outside the body)

• genetic defect (i.e., being born with diabetes or with a genetic makeup where alcohol is not processed normally)

• environmental factors (i.e., being exposed to toxins and pollutants or developing cirrhosis of the liver, where excessive alcohol has caused so much stress on the liver that it no longer functions properly)

While alcoholism can be influenced by genetics and by chemical alterations, the vital fact to remember is that you do have control over whether you succumb to alcoholism or whether you are restored from alcoholism. Your family background and genetics can make you more susceptible to alcoholism; however, these influences can be resisted (1 Peter 1:13).

Just as chemical dependency does not develop overnight, neither does deliverance from dependency typically occur quickly. Yet just as a sequence of events can lead you into quicksand, another sequence can lead you into freedom.

By putting one foot in front of the other, you can begin your journey on the path to recovery. One day you may find yourself running down the Road to Transformation in full freedom…and even pulling others out of the quicksand along the way.

Admit to being powerless
over your dependency.

“I am unable to manage or control my life.” No matter what the trial, 2 Corinthians 1:9 says we are not to “rely on ourselves but on God.”

Realize
that the God who made you has the power to restore you.

“I am asking Christ to be my Redeemer, and to restore every area of my life” (see Psalm 71:20-21).

Yield your will
to the will of the Lord.

“I am asking Christ to take control of my life” (see Matthew 16:24-25).

Face reality
—face your true self.

“I will take an honest look at my life, asking God to uncover my sins and character flaws” (see Psalm 139:23-24).

Admit your struggle
with sin, both to God and to someone else.

“May I see my sin as God sees it and hate my sin as God hates it” (see 1 John 1:8).

Accept God’s help
to change your patterns of the past.

“I will commit my life into the care of Christ” (see 1 Peter 5:6-7).

Confess
your failings and flaws.

“I’m willing to see myself as God sees me” (see Psalm 51:10-12).

Ask forgiveness
of those whom you have offended.

“I will find those whom I’ve hurt, and from my heart ask forgiveness” (see Matthew 5:23-24).

Make restitution
where you have wronged others.

“I will make amends…with the help of God” (see Ezekiel 33:15-16).

Keep a clean slate
by acknowledging when you have been wrong.

“Each day I will take responsibility for my irresponsibility” (see Titus 2:11-12).

Pray for God’s direction
for your life.

“I want to be led by the Lord, and walk only on His path” (see Psalm 25:4-5).

Reach out to others
with your hand and your heart.

“I will care for those who need care, and will help with a heart of compassion” (see Galatians 6:2).

Don’t fight
addiction on your own. Rely on God and participate in a legitimate drug recovery program (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Don’t be blind
about your ability to lie to yourself and to others! Ask someone to help you be accountable (see Jeremiah 17:9).

Don’t socialize
with those who encourage or tolerate your habit. Forge new friendships and helpful, healthy habits (see 1 Corinthians 15:33).

Don’t worry
about the future. Walk with God one day at a time (see Matthew 6:34).

Don’t give up
if you relapse. It is never too late to get back on track. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Don’t be prideful
as you succeed in the recovery process. Be grateful for God’s grace and power to achieve change. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Don’t be surprised
at temptation—flee from it! “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Realize
that the time to begin recovery is today.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

Accept
that recovery is a lifelong process, not a onetime event.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

Pray
daily for victory. It is through prayer that God protects you.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Read
your Bible every day to get strength from God.

“My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28).

Meditate
on Scripture to fight against falling into sin.

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

Attend
church every week to worship God and to grow with others.

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Share
your struggles with caring loved ones.

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

Have
confidence in God and prioritize growing in your relationship with Him.

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Depend
on Christ’s strength to stay drug-or alcohol-free.

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Know
that permanent change is possible.

“With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

You may say, “I can’t…I’ve tried…I just can’t do it!”

Well, maybe it’s true you don’t have the stamina to stop…and stay stopped. But understand that Christ hasn’t called you to stay sober alone. The Bible reveals the secret: “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:24
NASB
).

Q:
Why do people have a personal conviction to abstain from alcohol?

A:
First, the Bible gives us warnings like this one: “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler” (Proverbs 20:1).

Second, the Bible gives us “the stumbling argument”—the concern that someone might stumble because of your example. “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble” (Romans 14:21
ESV
).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Deuteronomy 29:19

Isaiah 24:11

Proverbs 23:20

Isaiah 28:7

Proverbs 23:33

Psalm 69:29

Romans 6:12

Philippians 2:13

Psalm 25:5

For additional guidance on this topic, see also
Anger, Codependency, Crisis Intervention, Domestic Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Forgiveness, Guilt, Habits, Hope, Identity, Self-worth, Verbal and Emotional Abuse, Victimization, Worry
and other related topics.

F
irefighters know the danger of letting a fire get out of control. They are trained to respond quickly. You, too, must respond quickly to control the flames of anger before they consume your life and leave a smoldering ditch of destruction.

“An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins”

(P
ROVERBS
29:22).

Anger
is an emotional agitation that occurs when a need or expectation is not met.
¹
Like heat, anger has many degrees, ranging from mild irritations to hot explosions.