Savage2Saint Sobriety Oct. 28, 2023

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).

Success is something we all want to achieve no matter what it is we are putting our hands to. Everyone wants to be successful. It's the measuring stick of our lives. Each person's ruler is a little different, though. For some, it's about the number of zeros in the bank account, or the size of their house. For others, it's about getting a college degree from the finest university or getting the highest paying job with the best benefits.

For an addict, success has a slightly different look to it. It's not about having the biggest house, as much as it is about getting off the streets and having a place to call their own. It's not about the highest paying job, but instead being able to hold a job down past the first paycheck. For most addicts, success can be measured as simply as how many days of sobriety they have.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God wants His children to be successful. He wants to help us, not harm us. He wants to give us a hope in our future success, not constantly remind us of our past failures. These are things everyone can be excited about, but to an addict, these promises can almost seem unreal or impossible.

When Shevon and I first got saved, we didn't have a whole lot of success going on in our lives. Neither of us had a place to live, a vehicle, or a job. Drugs had destroyed everything. Relationships with my family were non-existent. Legal troubles were all around us. There wasn't a lot of hope in our future. Then we started putting our faith in the One who could help get us out of the hole we were in. We both began a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Through daily Bible reading, prayer, and going to church, we started seeing the kind of success that God actively wants for all of His children. Paul tells us in the book of Romans, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (KJV). All things work together for good to them that love God. That's the kind of success we've experienced. The kind where all things work together for our good! We pray that all addicts will come to know the success we have seen and experienced since we gave our lives to Jesus Christ. I have said this before, and I will say it again (and again) ... the secret to our success is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

When you get on top of the mountain, don't forget the things that got you out of the valley and back on track. Reading your Bible, praying, and going to church still has to be the priority if you want to continue being successful. Being hungry for Jesus and a desire to seek God doesn't stop when the bills get paid. Stay in the Word of God, talk with Jesus every day and continue to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ on a regular basis. Jesus gave us the formula in Matthew 6:33 when He said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - (KJV). He followed that up with, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" - Matthew 7:7 (KJV). Success is available to each and every one of us because it is freely given when we abide in Jesus. God Bless!