Wise Counsel in Christian Recovery

Many Christians, especially those coming out of the world and off of drugs and alcohol, get in trouble when they believe they are hearing God when it’s actually the voice of their sinful man coming through loud and clear. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen people in recovery end up relapsing because they were sure that God was speaking and releasing them to do this or that.

For example, it’s common for ex-addicts to want to save their friends who are in the midst of addiction. While wisdom would have them separate from those practicing the sin of addiction – at least until they are stronger and well-rooted in their faith – the devil knows how to connect with the ex-addict’s sin nature to lure them back. At first, the ex-addict is able to resist temptation, but soon they lose their resolve and return to their old ways and their drug of choice.

This reality may make you insecure about whether you are divinely inspired or not, but there is a system you can use to make sure that what you are hearing is truth and/or wisdom. First, check it against Biblical instruction. Second, get in the habit of seeking counsel from your leaders.

Even small decisions can have a major impact on your Christian life. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”  (KJV)  To prove this point, Solomon writes something very familiar in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

The best advice we can give you is to leave nothing to chance. When you are making decisions, don’t get prideful and religious; get guidance. Most importantly, if several people you trust agree on a solution or a direction, take their advice. This may mean that you have to do something you don’t want to do, or you can’t do something you want to do. At first, you’ll dislike this accountability process, but we guarantee you will totally love the long-term results.

The Solid Rock Road is a Christian Recovery program with a book that promotes 10 Principles of recovery titled “Follow The Solid RockRoad: Pathway to Radical Recovery.” You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.