8 Questions the Bible Answers about Recovery

Successful recovery begins with being honest, open and willing to seek help from others. People close to you have probably known about your addiction for a while. They might even breathe a sigh of relief when you tell them. The defense of denial has finally been broken. They can stop holding up the family lie that everything is okay. The bible speaks about how true healing is done with others.

Once the severity of your struggle is realized, shame and guilt don’t take long to follow. Guilt is the feeling of “I’ve done something wrong.” Shame is the feeling of “There’s something wrong with me.” Guilt calls you into confession, reconciliation, and hope in doing better next time. Shame causes you to feel of less value than what we truly deserve. It will trigger you to self-medicate in an attempt to relieve internal discomfort, emotional pain and isolation. Guilt helps create better habits. Shame attaches your bad habits to your identity. Remember, you are not an addict, but you do have an addiction.

Addiction is a masterful liar. It promises freedom from your problems but only ends up amplifying them or creating more. Recovery is a tough (but good) road to walk. What promises to make things easier more than using again? But a sober mind can see how it only makes it harder. The bible says the human heart is deceitful, too. Denial isn’t gone completely once you’ve admitted to your addiction. Lies like “I can do this on my own” and “I can still hang with my old friends at the old spots and not give in” still swim in your head. Freedom from relapse can only be achieved after firmly believing that real change is not only crucial, but possible. And it also comes with understanding that you are the catalyst for both stagnation and change.

A lapse, or slip, is the short decision and incident of using again. This is followed by a relatively immediate choice of getting back to a recovery lifestyle. A relapse is the extended pattern of decisions and period of time spent using again. If you continue to use until you are caught or hit rock bottom, you have resumed an addicted lifestyle.

Repentance is one of those loaded words that is misunderstood and misrepresented in our culture. It’s often associated with the angry and damning preaching from pastors standing on street corners. But it’s not intended to be so negative and damning. Repentance simply means to change your behavior. It’s the process of asking God for strength and developing the character to resist your urges. Repentance is the change of heart, not just empty remorse and regrets.

A crucial factor in overcoming addiction is keeping your eyes on the goal of sobriety and recovery. Paul definitely understood the necessity of being goal-oriented in order to change successfully. If you align your vision and goals on him and living healthy, he’ll be there to help you. No one ever got to where they needed to be by only watching their feet and how they stumbled. So keep your eyes on where you’re heading and walk out of your addiction, one day at a time.

You absolutely can. One hundred times yes. When you slip up or even relapse, God will always help you get back up and move forward. Everyone, “godly” or not, is faced with daily temptations to “relapse” into various sins and destructive behaviors. Always prone to making mistakes and bad choices, humans can never earn salvation. Eternal reconciliation, acceptance and life is a gift that God gives freely for those who accept it.

As long as addictive substances have existed, people have fallen victim to them. Temptation, suffering, and yielding to destructive behavior are struggles as old as time. But love, forgiveness, and redemption are just as old and just as powerful. No matter which path you’ve gone down in your life, there is always hope and light at the end of it.