Drinking alcohol?

Question

I was saved about 13 years ago and was delivered from alcoholism by Jesus Christ. I was in a bad marriage and my wife did not support me in my changes and new Christian ways of living. The stress of this made me pick up the alcohol again. How do I stop? And please dont tell me to just put it down. Anyone who is a drinker knows this is not as easy as it sounds. I would like to hear from someone who has had a similar experience, and how did you overcome it? I would like to be back to where I started with my relationship with Christ.

To clarify, I am typing this question for my husband

Answer 1

You said that you were delivered. Were you or were you not?

Two years ago, I drank beer daily. Twelvepack at least. Every day after work. On top of this, I bought at least one and sometimes two 1/2 gallon bottles of Crown Royal a week. Drank that, too. To add to this, I smoked pot. I sold pot, so to use an ounce or two a week was no big deal. I also took Lortab 10, and smoked cigarettes and cigars.

God delivered me. Healed me. Totally. Clean. Praise Him. Thank you, Jesus.

That kind of a change leaves quite a hole in your life, where all that used to be. You must allow Christ to fill that hole. Will you then be perfect? No. But you must continue on. Press on toward Christ, man! He is the author and finisher of your salvation. God has begun a good and wondrous work in your life, and He will finish it. You must allow Him to finish it, that's all !

Alcoholism comes from Satan. It is one of his most effective tools. You must resist that temptation. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. He must . He has no choice.

Two years later, and I am free. Free from tobacco, drugs, pot, liquor, beer. Sometimes, on a Sunday morning, on the way to church, I will see the party crowds loading up the beer coolers, and heading to the creek. Once in a while, a little voice in my mind will say, "Boy, it would be nice to just do that again, just once. It couldn't hurt, could it?" But it could, and it would.

AA labels you as an alcoholic for the rest of your life, but I am telling you, brother, when the Holy Ghost gets involved, when God works, and delivers you, lives are changed! That label belongs in the garbage can! They can wear that label if they want to, but when God heals you through the power of the Holy Ghost, you are FREE !! You wear no labels anymore. You are saved . You are made new through the power of Jesus Christ !

I will press on toward Christ. There is nothing back there in the things of the world for me. My reward lies at the feet of Christ. God bless you.

Answer 2

If that is where you want to be, then maybe you should simply look up passages in the Bible that would be beneficial to the way you are feeling. Most Bibles have sections which show verses that are for particular emotions - anger, love, frustration, depression. I've found a few in Proverbs that I find are wise passages, but most deal with how to treat others, even when they are being downright rude or aggressive. As for your wife not supporting you, maybe she didn't support How you went about it? Interfaith relationships (even within the same religion - Christianity is an umbrella term just like Pagan is...) maybe include her on what changes you feel you need to make and why and allow her to help you... That is what a wife is for (just as that is what a husband is for in these cases). In cases like these, it's a lot better to take it one step at a time and include all of the people you wish to keep in your life as to where you are going to step and why you are taking that path. When one just makes changes and then expects everything around them to simply fall into place normally doesn't work out. As for your relationship with Christ, that is something that only you can work on... any advice given can only be followed so far, you are the one who has to walk those steps. Advice is not a stepping stone, just an option.

Answer 3

Overcoming an alcohol addiction is impossible to do if you are trying to use your own strength. I was addicted to alcohol for forty miserable years. After receiving Christ as my personal Savior, I tried to quit, but failed miserably every time. I sometimes was able to stay away from it for two years at a time, but then Satan would win and I would start again. Jesus and I have finally won the battle. It has been years since I have even had a craving for it. I needed professional Christian direction which God lead me to through the Internet. The programme is available to all Christians who want to learn how to use God's power to deliver you from this stronghold. They will give guide you through a programme one day at a time and assign a mentor to help you. I would strongly advise any Christian that is struggling with addictions to do this programme. The key is to depend on the Lord's strength and not your own. They will teach you how. The course is called "New Wine." I thank God everyday for delivering me from this stronghold. I now have a life more dedicated to doing the will of God. Praise Him!!!
http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com

Answer 4

Why would you want to go back to where you started when you could go so much further? You can never go back into the past so you will never be on the same level of faith you were on. You can only go higher or lower!

Pour all your alcohol down the sink and if you can't do it get your spouse or someone else to do it for you. Pick up a Bible and just read, it doesn't matter where you start! Always keep your mind on God and when you feel the urge to drink, PRAY!!
Get drunk on the Lord! The moment you pray to God the tide of the battle is turned!

Psalm 55:16-17
But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Answer 5

AA would be your first step.

My husband is a recovered alcoholic.

** as you stated, you started drinking because of stress.
Alcoholics dont become alcoholics because they just like to drink... they become addicted because they have underlying issues that they self medicate. Stress, depression, insomnia, anxiety, unresolved issues of whatever nature... the person feels he/she has no ablity to cope, so alcohol is the easy way out. AA is one good start. Religion is another way, but apparently for you it isn't enough.
Many people also need some sort of counseling to get to the root of whatever "issue" made them drink (or start drinking again)-- and deal with it-- not just say Jesus is going to save me-- and that's good that you found a new way of life-- don't get me wrong-- but if you never fixed the problem, church is almost like a new medication, just covering up the problem, medicating it in a new way & making you feel better, but not "fixing " the depression, the fear, the anxiety... whatever.
You can certainly continue with your faith-- that's important--
And you need your AA- that's important too-- if you didn't do that the first time, then you certainly need it now!!!
But go find a good counselor-- and maybe you even need to fix some other underlying biochemical issues (with medication- anitdepressants, whatever-- I'm not qualified to figure that out over the internet at all!!!) so that you remain happy & calm & not in need of alcohol to make your worries go away.

You can do this!
Blessings--

Answer 6

What ever you did last time try it again and keep trying. Have faith in the Lord and faith in yourself I have lived with alcoholism my whole life and I believe it is a disease. I lost my brother at age 36 and my nephew at age 30 my dad was shot and killed because he was an alcoholic and pulled a gun and tried to kill my mother, my mother then became an alcoholic. And they are all gone now. Needless to say I am very scared of becoming addicted to alcohol as well.
I will pray for you that God will give you the strength to put alcohol down and deliver you from this addiction. Turn all your problems over to Him. Put them in his hands.

Answer 7

I can testify to similar circumstances in my life.
I was a drinker and pot smoker from my youth.
I got saved in very unusual circumstances, so I really did not get away from drinking and pot and tobacco until over 3 years later. I did OK for a while but then through discouragement over the death of my father I slipped back into it. It was years before I got free again, but then slipped back into it. I wasn't a heavy drinker, but I drank a few beers every day and smoked a few cigars. I finally got free from the pot, but kept on with drinking. Years later these things came to the awareness of some Christian friends who didn't condemn me, but expressed heartfelt concern. I was able to receive their admonition and started meeting every Monday with an older man to pray about issues in our life and to get victory over sin. I stopped drinking and smoking that week and never touched a drink or cigar since, over 8 years ago, and have no desire whatever for it anymore.
I think the main thing is that you need to know God is more interested in getting you free than you are.
One verse to meditate on and ask God to give you revelation:
"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
Romans 6:14

The first promise in the New Testament is this:
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Only believe, and you will see it come to pass.

Answer 8

so would you then be the non-supportive wife?

it is hard to tell by the wording of the question.

having the support of family and friends is everything to the person trying to beat an addiction. i quit for my kid. i did not have the support of my girlfriend, or her family, i had friends to fall back on though. good friends that would drop by at odd hours just to see what i was doing(checking up on me) and one even took me to every loquor store in town and made me go insie and tell the owner/clerk..."hello i am an alocholic, and as part of my recovery i must ask you to not sell me anything."

as for fixing your relationship with Christ, that is between you and your reacher and your god. i cannot help you there.

Answer 9

Try Rational Recovery (www.recovery.org). Unlike AA, this recovery method doesn't promote the idea of alcholism as a disease with no cure (that thereby tolerates an infinite number of relapses and a lifetime of staying sober "one day at a time"). I've seen the basic concept work for several people I know and while it doesn't promote or require belief in a "higher power", the methods are very consistent with Jesus' command to "go and sin no more".

...and please please please stay away from Al-Anon and other support groups for family members that try to make you responsible for your loved one's sobriety...the result is a horribly co-dependent way of living that encourages the drinker to blame you for his or her own decision to drink! I'm speaking from experience here! Instead, focus on praying for the strength of your loved one while making it clear that you love him or her enough to draw the line on self-destructive behavior.

Answer 10

Open-up to others, get involved in positive projects with other people, and the self-defeating need for alcohol will be more obvious to you.

Alcoholism is a very solitary habit, and getting involved in collaborative, rewarding projects with other positive people will help you break free.

An Atheist
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