Question: I am becoming a Certified Recovery Specialist, received the training, taking the licensure test on the 27th. Is there specific training for a Christian CRS? There are also a lot of Recovery Community Organizations for advocacy throughout the US. Are there any for Christians?

Jim LaPierre Says...:

Hi Richard,

Thanks for connecting with us. Congratulations on your success thus far and thank you for the service you are and will be providing. I encourage you, if you're not already familiar, the check out Celebrate Recovery. It's a distinctly Christian recovery program that supports addiction recovery and well as other forms of recovery through Christina principles and practices. While I don't know of any advocacy groups that are solely Christian, I do not an emerging trend of Interfaith programs on local levels. Some of these are ecumenical movements in meeting basic life needs and some are advanced to the point of political advocacy.

I have long believed that churches and religious communities are the greatest untapped resource in supporting addiction recovery. I hope and pray that if you don't find a group that meets your needs that you'll consider creating one. Contact me if I can be helpful

Best,

Jim

Question: My life is a failure and all I want to do is escape from the world. I can’t be in the world and stay off meth. I am too weak and now I am have lost my job and I am 60 days away from homelessness and there is no one left I can turn to. I just want to live a simple life forever like a monk of the old days. I am ready to walk away from everything because my whole life and everything around my disgusts me. It is dripping in sin and based on the false worship of everything that is worldly to temp me away from God. I will spend the rest of my days in prayer and simple work if there is anyplace that will accept me. Where can I turn to?

Arlinda Lindsay Says...:

Hello Anonymous,

You are experiencing a lot of challenges but running is not the answer.   I suggest you enter a rehab program to address the addiction to meth.  If you are unhappy with your life then redefine it. Things can and will turn around for you.  Just don't give up. Take action.  With God all things are possible. Hold on to your faith.  God hates the sin but not the sinner.  God loves you and will give you the strength to make it. 

Check out the Rehab Programs Section in the Choose Help website to find a program in your area. The Salvation Army may have an affordable rehab facility in your area.  Consider attending 12 step meetings such as NA and get a sponsor for additional support. Keep praying and work on building your support system.  Get Help.

Question: What does the bible say about alcoholism? Where there alcoholics in the time of Jesus?

Arlinda Lindsay Says...:

Hello Anonymous,

In the
Bible, wine is included among the blessings from God and described as something
that “gladdens the heart of man.” Jesus turn water into wine, wine apparently
was taken at the last supper, and it appears that Jesus himself drank wine.  According to some theologians, wine in the
first century Judea was mixed with water. But, whether wine was strong or
diluted, people had a responsibility to control their input. Throughout the
Bible, excessive drinking is condemned. Paul wrote, “Do not get drunk on wine, “
and This “leads to debauchery.”  “Instead
be filled with the Spirit.” Also,  read,
Proverbs 23:29-35.  The Bible seems to
warn against drunkenness and teaches drinking in moderation.  Abstinence was also considered favorably.

During biblical
times, there were people that did drink and get drunk.  The first person in the Bible to get drunk
was Noah. Genesis 9, verse 20-24. He planted a vineyard, made wine, and got
drunk. Genesis 19:30-38 - Lot was so drunk he did not know what he was doing;
this led to immorality. 2 Samuel 13:28-29 - Amnon was drunk when he was killed.

Question: The devil that makes me thirsty for liquor and desiring drugs won’t leave me in peace. I pray that I am full of the Lord but I still feel devils temptations. I have let the devil in my soul with my weakness and sin and all of the evil I have done and now he wont leave me in peace.

Arlinda Lindsay Says...:

Hi  Anonymous,

Maintain
structure in your life and apply H.A.L.T, don’t get too hungry, angry, lonely,
and tired.  Take care of yourself.
Temptation is all around you but you do not have to give in.  Read recovery related material. God’s grace
is sufficient and He will give you the grace to maintain your sobriety by
working a recovery program. Faith without works is dead.  Have faith and apply relapse prevention
techniques.  You have the desire to be
clean and God will give you the desire of your heart. God loves you and will
not leave nor forsake you. You can and will overcome drug addiction. Victory is yours! Peace is Yours!

Question: Which free Christian live in addiction recovery program offers the best combination of Faith based recovery and progressive science based services? Beggars can’t be choosers and there is zero money to pay for treatment but we are hoping to find a program that is Faith based but also aware of science and uses more progressive treatments on top of just the 12 steps and prayer, etc. We are looking at the Salvation Army and Teen Challenge but these do not seem very progressive.

Jim LaPierre Says...:

Hi. Thanks for your question. What you seem to be seeking is Christian based, 12 step based, scientifically advanced, and free. This combination is relatively rare at any price - much less for free. The Salvation Army is an excellent program. I hope it works well for you/your loved ones and after treatment I hope you remain mindful of how it is these programs are funded. (Pay it forward).

The best free ongoing combination of steps and faith is still your local AA/NA meeting and I can't recommend them highly enough. Good luck to you and blessed be. Best, Jim

Question: I cannot forgive myself for how I treated my parents when I was using. I stole from them I abused them physically and emotionally and verbally and I scared and bullied them so I could get what I wanted (money and drugs). I do not know why but they forgive me but I can’t forgive myself. I don’t want to think about these memories all the time but I am always remembering new scenes from the past that I had forgotten and every time it is like a kick in the stomach and the pain and shame and guilt is more than I can take. I am trying to take care of them financially. I feel like this is the way I can work to repay them for their kindness. But they are also a constant reminder of what I did in the past and I feel like I can’t take it anymore. I am 6 months sober from cocaine but I am hanging on by thread. I need to either forgive or forget. I am supposed to pray for forgiveness but I know I don’t deserve it.

Penny Bell Says...:

Firstly I would like to
offer my heartfelt congratulations on being clean for 6 months!  That’s not an easy feat to accomplish and you
have done well.  Not only that, you have
integrated back into society as a responsible member and you are helping to
support your parents financially.  All of
that says to me you are a truly repentant individual, and obviously your
parents believe that to be true also.  It
seems that the only person not impressed with you is you!  And I’m wondering what it would be like for
you to quit blaming yourself, quit dwelling on the past and accept the new
you?  My hunch is that there’s a lot of
anxiety there about letting yourself off the hook – if you relax, and truly put
the past behind you, you may stop monitoring yourself and fall back into your
old ways.  It’s almost as if you have a
sort of hypervigilance about yourself, and if you don’t keep it up you will
lose control of your life once again.  If
I’m right about this, the solution is for you to work on your fear and mistrust
of yourself. Take that to counselling, and if you’re not seeing a counsellor,
now would be a good time to start.  

When we offend others we
do moral damage to ourselves because we transgress our own values.  It’s important to see ourselves from the
perspective that we do have a capacity for moral change and having taken
responsibility for our actions, to reaffirm our values.  We need to understand the difference between
guilt and shame – guilt says I have done something wrong, and I can repent and
make restitution to those I’ve hurt. 
Shame says I’m a bad person, and repentance can’t change that about
me.  Guilt is about behaviour, shame is
about who I am.  When we transgress our
own values we give ourselves shaming messages, and we begin to see ourselves
through that shame filter.  Realising
that shame is a lie being told about us can help us to release ourselves from
its grip and the anxiety of never again being able to measure up. 

Just the fact that you are
so distressed by your past behaviour toward your parents tells me that you are
not a person with bad character, rather, you are a person who made some bad
choices.  That is more about behaviour
than about character.  And of course, we
know that once drugs come into the picture, behaviour is all about the
addiction.  Once the “addict is taken out
of the man”, he can find his true self again. 
As time goes on and you continue to build your new life and create new
memories, the past will become more and more just that, the past. 

And as I said earlier,
take this to counselling.  Very
important!

Question: Do you know the Christian Recovery Bible? Is it actually more helpful than the regular Bible for a person with alcoholism? This is for a gift for my brother who is in rehab now and I want to get him a graduation gift. Is there a Faith centered book for alcoholism that you would especially recommend other than the recovery Bible?

Penny Bell Says...:

Your brother deserves congratulations for both entering recovery and working hard at it, to the point that he's now graduating.  And it sounds like you have been a support for him, and will continue to be as he navigates a new sober world outside of the safe walls of rehab.  The Recovery Bible can be bought in many versions and has highlighted scriptures and notations that are relevant to those recovering from addiction, so I think it would be an excellent gift for your brother.  There are many other books written specifically for those in recovery, one of which is  "Twenty Four Hours a Day", a daily meditation booklet that also comes in journal form and is written by an addict for addicts. For others try some of the major online bookstores and put "recovery" into the search box.  I wish your brother all the best in his new life!

Question: Ive been asked to share about how Christianity and recovery comes together in my life. I only have 20 minutes and need to reach the addict who still suffers (and possibly non/believer). What keynotes should I be sure to include?

Ken Sneed Says...:

At a workshop I attended for mental health professionals, the presenter observed that, "Every person's pet sin is their addiction."  One aspect of alcoholism that is often overlooked is that everyone wrestles with is their own pet addiction. The point of this is that your brief address needs to point out that Christians are people and therefore struggle with addictions, too.

Gossip, greed, self-centerdness, lust . . . on and on the list goes. As big as a chemical addiction? Sure! Just maybe not as obvious.

In light of this, I'd encourage you to include words like, Love, Forgiveness, Patience, Kindness, Compassion, Hope, Faith, and Trust.  That's the connection Christianity has to life, not just to chemical addiction.

You might, if you feel it's appropriate, point out that many can't, in their words, "accept a God who is judgmental and condemning." Actually, what we're told about God is that He's loving and forgiving.  He merely pointed out the consequences of not trusting Him.It's each person's choice to accept his love and forgiveness or face the consequences of his or her own choice not to accept God's love.

In the same way, each person regards the pet sin harbored in his/her own heart. The consequences of that sin (addiction) are a life of trying to rationalize and justify and convince himself that there is nothing wrong with the behavior that is causing such turmoil and pain. Isn't that the common problem? Pain that we try to sooth?

Point out from your experience how your faith in God has strengthened you to deal with your pain, even when it's really difficult.

Although the following verse from the Bible is about being brought to justice for talking about one's relationship with Jesus in a place where it's illegal, I think it fits any situation in which we find ourselves trying to speak about our relationship with God.

. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."

                                                                         -- Mark 13:11

Trust God about what to say.

Peace

Question: What does it mean to find Jesus? Is it like a sudden revelation or a sudden understanding? What does it feel like? Is it a process or an all of a sudden thing? Do you have to find some sign that convinces you? Is there anything a person is supposed to do to make this happen? I am looking but I haven’t yet found faith.

Ken Sneed Says...:

Beginning a relationship with God isn't an experience that is "once & done." 

The phrase, "finding Jesus," is an expression used by many to explain the beginning of a life-long relationship.  It's a relationship that is intended to grow over time,

Finding Jesus actually means that you surrender yourself . . . all of who you are . . . to Him as your lord and master.  The Apostle, Paul, often described himself as a slave to God because of his relationship to Jesus, God's son. And because of his slavery to Jesus, he found the freedom he'd never known before.

There is actually an excellent book that tells about this process, It's the Bible. (No joke. No sarcasm.) Get a good contemporary translation that is very easy to read, for example the New International Version (NIV). Begin doing some reading in the book within the Bible called John.  It was written by the Apostle named John.  I'd encourage you to begin reading that book.

Additionally, you might find a minister in a church that is part of one of the major denominations.  Call the church office and make an appointment to sit with the pastor and ask questions about why they believe as they do.  Or visit a church service, and if you appreciate the pastor's message and you feel comfortable, after the worship service let him know that you want to talk with him about having a relationship with Jesus.  He'll make time to anwer your questions for you!

Please know that the real problem most people have isn't finding Jesus. He's available any time, all the time.The biggest problem is that frequently people want instant, magic solutions that fix everything for the rest of their lives. A relationship is a growing process that goes on for a lifetime of learning from mistakes and a desire for personal meaning according to God's plan for your purpose.

Do some dialoguing with a minister you trust and begin the process of a relationship with Jesus.

Question: I am alcoholic that is trying to stop drinking. I am not doing very well. I go to meetings and I keep hearing this guy say by the grace of god I didn’t have a drink today. Does this mean by the grace of god I did get wasted and miss my son’s basketball game?

Ken Sneed Says...:

I think to begin this discussion we need to define grace as its used in the Bible.

Grace is God's "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification." (Meriam Webster's Dictionary)

So this begs the question, "Does God favor the other man at your meetings, but not you?"

I think the better question would be, "Did I allow God to grace me, or did I determine to do what I, that is, my flesh, preferred to do without being open to God's grace?"

I believe that What we all do, depending on what each person's individual addiction is (whether chemicals, gossip, gluttony, sex, gambling, TV, greet, etc) is to make a decision to act on our impulses without thought to the consequences, and then we blame God for not "fixing" us.

Without a doubt, God makes his grace available to everyone.  The difference between individuals or from one person's situation to the next situation, is how it's handled.  Did I decide to do the right thing, or did I decide to cave to the temptation before me?

Saying, "No," to chemicals is the right thing to do. But it's not usually as simple as that.  Stopping to look to God, considering the probable outcome of our choices, asking Him for direction and strength to make the best choice, then acting on that choice . . . that's when God's grace is available, though even then it may He may not be given the freedom to apply it because we selfishly decide to do what we FEEL like.

Make your choice based on God's Word and act on it, not your feelings at the time.

Don't blame God for not doing his part. Be responsible for your part and act on the decision.

You may want to read Roman's 7.  Keep in mind that Paul is writing from his own personal experiences.  Wanting to do and acting on our feelings are common for humans.  Choose to be unique and lean on the grace God provides.