Even King Solomon Knew Drinking Is Bad and Sobriety is Good: Proverbs 23

Hi and welcome to the Recovered Christian, the Sissy's, anne. We all struggle with different things In recovery. We might be healing from addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food and alcohol people pleasing work. Sadly, the list is really long. Today I'm talking about alcohol, but you can just apply this to whatever your thing is. Destruction is destruction and despair is despair. In the book of Proverbs, chapter 23, verse 29 to 35, there is a stark portrayal of the dangers of excessive drinking, the misery of the abuse of alcohol. Here's what it says who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns trying out new drinks. Don't gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down, for in the end it bites like a poisonous snake, it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast, and you will say they hit me, but I didn't feel it, I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink. Wow, solomon, who wrote the Proverbs, paints a vivid picture of the downward spiral caused by overindulgence in alcohol. It seems okay at first. It's new and sparkly and goes down smoothly. Yep, the beginning isn't normally bad. It may even be fun. It seems glamorous and so very grown up, but it swiftly spirals into a life filled with anguish and strife and physical harm. The allure of alcohol portrayed as enticing and smooth, deceives and leads to a loss of control and awareness. Alcohol is poison. Even if you don't have a problem with drinking, it's not good for you. It harms our bodies and minds in so many ways. I was just at an event yesterday and the host had a glass of wine and said my body doesn't make this kind of vitamin, so I have to drink it. Plus her heart, alcohol is not a vitamin and obviously she knew that. But I get so tired of people trying to justify and normalize drinking. It's just everywhere in our culture. Some laughed and guzzled down their drinks and I just sat there with my decaf coffee thinking I am so glad that's not me anymore. Addiction is a sneaky bugger. You'll hear me say that a lot One day. You're fine being social, having a drink or two and suddenly you're hiding it, trying to live without it, having it dominate every thought. You think you're in control until all of a sudden you're not and you're wondering how did I get here? Addiction is a progressive disease. Once you're in the fight, there's no walking away unscathed. It will get worse and worse until you either die or you conquer it. You will have scars and you will have war wounds. There's just no way around it. But you don't have to lose. Victory can be yours. The consequences of alcohol and drugs are really serious. There are judgment, distorted reality and unquenchable thirst for more. It traps individuals in an ugly cycle of need and want and more need and more want. The imagery of being tossed at sea reflects the disorientation and instability that alcohol abuse brings, leaving us adrift and detached from reality and just wallowing in sadness. Alcohol makes you do things you would never normally do. Addiction makes you do things you can't believe you are capable of. It's a miserable way to live. Recovery is so much easier and happier and better in every way. In the journey toward recovery, choosing sobriety means reclaiming control and finding healing. Capacity brings clarity, resilience and the capacity to face life's challenges with a clear mind and a steadfast spirit. It allows us to confront any underlying issues without the haze of intoxication or the misery of a hangover or withdrawals. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink? That verse really hits home. I spent so many years stuck there. I didn't want to be. I wanted to be whole again. I wanted to wake up feeling good and ready for the day, not hiding my shaking hands and spending too much time in the bathroom throwing up. Just remembering back to those days turns my stomach. But I was stuck. I was stuck on that hamster wheel and couldn't figure out how to get off or how to stay off. Sober is so much better. Choosing sobriety is a commitment, a commitment to restoring your health and your life, healing wounds and nurturing a clear mind, body and soul. Choosing sobriety starts life over again. It opens up the whole world, full of possibilities and dreams. In addiction, your world is so small. It may not look like it from the outside and mine didn't but that's the reality. Your world revolves around one thing and that's it. In recovery, your world is wide open. Without mental and physical dependence on a substance, without the obsession, without the constant dominance of thought and action, your world becomes open to anything. My life looks completely different now than it did seven years ago. I still have the same husband and the same kids, but everything else is different. I'm living out my dreams in so many ways, and that is only possible because I broke the chains of addiction, with God's merciful help. I never want to wake up and look for another drink. Well, I do look for coffee. A hot cup of coffee in the morning is one of my life's greatest pleasures. But I don't want to wake up and look for anything other than what is pleasing and honorable to my father. I have so much to do and so many plans. I don't want to waste another minute of my life focused on the things that mean me, harm and want to kill me. Make the commitment to restore your life. Choose sobriety, choose a life of possibilities. Choose life. You'll never regret it, not for one moment. Let's pray Sweet Father, thank you for the gifts you give us. Thank you for the opportunity every day to live a life wide open. Give us the strength to resist the allure of temptations. Guide us on the path of sobriety, leading us toward healing and renewal. Grant us the wisdom to seek support when we need it and the courage to face each day with renewed determination. Keep us on the right road. May our journey toward sobriety be a testament to your grace and our unwavering commitment to honor you in all we do. We love you so much In Jesus' name. Amen To all those on the path of recovery. Remember that every step toward sobriety is a victory To those trying to start on the path. Do it. Don't wait another day, just do it. Embrace the journey and don't give up. If you fall, get up If you fail, keep going. Your worth is not defined by your past or your chains. You are a precious child of God and he loves you. May we continue to walk the path of healing, supporting one another with compassion and understanding and embracing the gift of a sober life, a life filled with clarity and purpose and hope and endless possibilities. I'll see you next time. Thank you so much for listening. I hope your bite-sized devotion today was very satisfying. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be honored if you'd leave a review or a rating. We are new, so every little bit helps me bring the Word to the world. I'd love to get to know you better at our Facebook group, the Recovered Christian. I'll put a link to it in the show notes. So thanks again for being here and I will see you next time.