October 22, 2010
Recovering
In the course of a conversation with a gentleman he told me that he was a recovering alcoholic. “I haven’t had a drink in 29 ½ years.” I congratulated him and we shared with one another the wide spread alcoholism that both of us have had in our families. I’m aware that Alcoholic Anonymous has participants claim their problem, but human nature tells us that after a few years we want to move on with life and not wear the title of alcoholic. I think there is a lesson in this for believers. Most of us would simply like to lay claim to being a disciple of Christ and forget the fact that we were, and are, still sinners.
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3 comments:
Gail;
-----I would like to not agree with the Alcoholic’s Anonymous approach of total abstinence. The problem of alcohol is in the destruction resulting from drunkenness rather than the moderated enjoyment of a beverage. But I have heard from many former alcoholics that something within them will briskly whisk them from one drink to drunkenness rather automatically. Furthermore, I am not sure if I have ever met a former alcoholic who occasionally will enjoy a drink. Therefore, I leave the testing of this thesis up to those having more experience than do I, and then rejoice in the fact that I do not have to test it myself.
-----Or do I? Tobacco is my alcohol. I smoked my first cigarette when I was five. However, I did not habitually smoke until my twenties. I stopped for a couple years at thirty-six when I married Char, then I started again for a few years. Then I decided I would never stop smoking; I would just stop buying tobacco. For several years this worked quite well. I enjoyed a cigarette with a friend a couple times a month, on average. Alas, I hit a big bump in my road two years ago and again started buying tobacco. Now I am beginning to reassess the unpleasant proposition of total abstinence.
-----The unpleasant parts of the proposition are that there is a list of immediate benefits from smoking that I value more than the list of its immediate detriments, and that smoking’s major detriment is neither immediate nor always absolute. So my craving easily stirs from these facts the reasonableness of lighting up today to leave quitting for tomorrow.
-----The former alcoholic’s willingness to think of himself in a way which I have been unwilling to think of myself exposes my spiritual immaturity. I hold that the complete denial of what is not harmful in moderation is as much a bondage as is addiction to its over-consumption. And I like to think of myself as free in the Lord to enjoy anything about which He does not clearly demand abstinence. Herein has been my tripping, and I believe He will lead me to a successful resolution as soon as I take the need for it seriously enough.
-----I think that is the real point. My need to deal with this tobacco problem and the alcoholic’s need to deal with his alcohol problem is far less about the destruction of the beautiful artwork God has given in our bodies, and much more about the greater beauty He will give in our humbled souls. My strength for enjoying in moderation what is destructive in excess is not His goal. His strength in my soul by my obedience to His principles, regardless of my understanding of their complete nature, is. And that goal serves not only resolution for the alcohol and tobacco habits, but also resolution for resistance to sin in general. “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” (Prov 22:4) I am very thankful toward my God and my parents for the great physical health I enjoy. Although smoking has not immediately effected this health, I am beginning to notice the more immediate effect it is causing my soul. And I am beginning to take it seriously.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
My choice to not smoke and to not drink any alcohol was a conscious choice of mine from an early age because I was taught that the Lord does not want me to use these substances, which have the potential to destroy families. I also saw how it distorted ones mind so as to take away ones agency to make the right choices. So many people justify the use of these things based on some study. Satan is very smart and knows how to grab hold of us and twist our mind to justify defiling our bodies. I may not have the struggles with these two substances
but I have other struggles that are mine, of which I deal with daily. Good luck to both of you on bearing your cross and enduring them well. Keep on the good fight and eventually your weaknesses will become strengths.
Lisa,
Taking your thought a step further, because of my family history with alcoholism, I find that I’m lacking in empathy and sympathy toward alcoholics. My experience has been that the alcoholic has a choice (even though they are addicted)…and they chose their beverage over their family. Thankfully where I am lacking in care and concern the Lord brings others alongside to fill the need for those who are struggling.
Gail
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