Savage2Saint Sobriety Sept. 15, 2023

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17 (KJV).

One of the staples of recovery programs like AA or NA is a belief in a "higher power". It's about putting your faith in something other than yourself to help you restore some semblance of sanity back to your life. Now, before I go any further, I agree with putting your faith in something other than the addict (You!) who has let you down time after time. What I don't agree with is the idea that the higher power they speak of can be any old thing laying around the house as long as you believe in it.

Listen, there is only one higher power who can change your life. His Name is Jesus Christ and He happens to be the Highest of all Powers. He can restore your sanity. He can restore your relationships. He can restore you! All you have to do is believe He can and put your trust in Him that He will.

The dictionary defines faith as having complete trust or confidence in someone or something. The definition for faith in the Bible is found in Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (KJV). The substance of things hoped for...living a sober life, getting your kids back, restored relationships with family, going to Heaven...these are all things we hope for...the evidence of things not seen...being able to stay sober even though we have relapsed time after time, restoring relationships with our kids and family even though they say they are through with us, being saved by grace even though we are born into sin and death.

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Want to have faith? Hear the Word of God. Want to hear the Word of God? Go to church! Read your Bible! Pray to Him, He answers if you listen! Want to make a change in your life? Put your faith in Jesus Christ! Putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ is the greatest and most important decision you will ever make in your life! But remember, change takes keeping the faith. It takes consistency. It takes commitment.

Faith doesn't make things easy, it makes them possible!

Getting sober, staying sober, finding new friends, and climbing out of the hole you created for yourself is not an easy task. Nobody ever said it was. Everything isn't magically fixed just because you have been clean for a couple of weeks, or even months. But having faith that Jesus can make the change in you is the ONLY thing that makes it possible. You will let yourself down. Jesus won't. Other people will let you down. Jesus won't. "And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." - Mark 10:27 (KJV).