I
see it all the time. Someone lives a clean and sober life for months or years at
a time and is then tricked into thinking they can get away with having wine
with dinner or a few beers at a barbecue. Well, some are tricked, but others
have simply given in to the temptation and found a way to justify their
actions. But regardless of why someone chooses to drink after a period of
sobriety, the fact is, by doing so they opened the door to their addiction and
welcomed in relapse.
It’s
ironic (and foolish) that those who preferred drugs to alcohol often say this when
they’re about to switch their main addiction to another: “Alcohol was not my
problem, so a few drinks won’t hurt.” While this may seem like a sane statement
to make, turn the scenario around and the insanity emerges. “Drugs were not my
problem, so I can smoke a little pot or take a few hits of meth and it won’t
hurt me.”
It’s
a slippery slope whenever a former drug addict picks up a drink. No one escapes
without a fall. Those who come to their senses quickly get away with a few
bruises, but others fall hard and the consequences are dire. I’m talking jail,
prison and death. I have walked many loved ones of the formerly addicted
through the pain of a major relapse, and attended many funerals of those who
re-opened a door to addiction.
While
Satan and his demons can’t make anyone do anything, they do spend a lot of time
‘suggesting’ that a drink won’t hurt. They know that Christians who struggle
with addiction only need to open the door a little for the plan of the evil one
to fully enter. And there are plenty of Christian people who knowingly or
unknowingly point out to the recovered addict that Jesus and the disciples
drank wine, so it’s not a sin. Combine that with all the commercials and
merchandising efforts that lure the weak toward alcoholic drinks and it’s easy
to see how and why recovered Christians find themselves in relapse.
So
don’t open the door, not even a crack. If you have ever been addicted, do not
allow alcohol to touch your lips or enter your body -- even if drugs were your "only problem."
To learn more about The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program, visit www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also find the recovery ministry on Twitter and Facebook.
