Christian Help For An Alcoholic

Religion plays a huge role in a recovering alcoholic's treatment. In fact the whole history of alcoholics anonymous was based off of Christianity and the belief of God. If you were to read the Big Book, which is the manual to AA, you will see that one of its traditions is to turn and trust that God will get you through each day.

alcoholics anonymous big book covers

Many Christians believe that God will be able to deliver you completely out of the clutches of alcohol by cleansing and justifying you. Even though the bible states that alcohol abuse is the failing of the flesh, many believe that the Holy Spirit can help you produce the self control you need to beat it as long as you have the faith.

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You also have to take your recovery one step at a time. It has been said that once you are an alcoholic, you are always an alcoholic. You can never go back to drinking without losing control to it. Many Christians and other religions believe you need to have God's help to deliver you from the urge to drink at all. In order to do this, ask for his help when it comes to you deciding not to have a drink right now. You have to take each day as it comes and focus only on the now and not on the future.

God and spirituality is the basis behind the recovery program for Alcoholics Anonymous. Through out the twelve steps of the program there is a constant theme of turning to God and making amends with him and your life throughout your recovery. The first and probably hardest step of the program is to admit that you were powerless over alcohol and that your life had become unmanageable. Once you get through that step, the of the steps might still be difficult but nothing like that first one.

It's been said that many recovering alcoholics go on to become Born Again Christians after they work the twelve steps of the program. This might be because the 12 steps is very close to the beliefs that people of Christianity faith have. A Born Again Christian is when you essentially hit rock bottom in your life and then you rediscover Jesus. It is also thought of as a total spiritual rebirth. Many recovering alcoholics, including yourself might feel that you could never have reached the point you are at without Gods help. You come to accept that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one in the same and that your life is in their hands.

Not everyone in the world is accepting of Born Again Christians and you might be one of them. However almost everyone in AA's recovery program has admit to having a stronger belief in God and what ever religion they may follow. You have to follow your heart and believe in what you feel most comfortable believing in.

Christian Help For An Alcoholic

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The Alcoholic Christian

Alcoholism is running rampant today, even in Christian's homes! Scripture tells us we are not to get drunk on too much wine because it causes sin. But the bible says a believer in Christ is saved through the death of Jesus. Does that mean the alcoholic Christian is saved too? Understand that living a righteous life in Jesus Christ is what gives the Christian eternal life. Being "saved" is a rebirth process and lifestyle change from walking in darkness to walking in the light. Do you think an alcoholic walks in the light or in the dark? Ok, then, there's your answer.

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Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. (Ephesians 5:18 NIV)

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Anyone who drinks to get drunk is not living a righteous life in Jesus Christ. An alcoholic is enslaved and controlled by the drink. Yes, it is true, Christian's sin, but they do not continue living in that sin, unless they are in fact, not Christian. If we know that drinking too much alcohol leads to sin then we should not do it. Maybe we should never have that first drink so we won't even have to worry about becoming an alcoholic.

I hear many horror stories from the spouse of an alcoholic, usually the wife, who is at wits end trying to tolerate her abusive husband and still maintain her marriage in some sort of congenial and organized fashion I tell them straight out, stop enabling the alcoholic. But many times not helping them is easier said than done, especially if the addict is emotionally abusing them, which is almost always the case.

An alcoholic will manipulate, abuse, and control everyone in the home if you allow him or her to. If the alcoholic is not in denial anymore and begins to recognize they have a problem, they may tell you over, and over, and over again that they will stop drinking - they may even set a date and time for this big event. But he never stops when he says he will! So stop believing him!

Trusting in what an alcoholic says or does is literally impairing your own mental and emotional thought patterns. The alcoholic makes you weak with them. In many ways, the alcoholic works through others to live - its how they get by for so many years drinking without becoming a skid row bum. As long as the alcoholic is getting help by you for him to keep slurping down that booze, nothing will ever change in your life and marriage, and I mean nothing!

This does not mean that once you stop enabling the alcoholic they will end up a hopeless, helpless bum. On the contrary, unless they can get someone else to help them to drink themselves to death, they will most likely seek help for themselves. The simple fact is if a
Christian is abusing alcohol than he has fallen from Christ and he should deal with this moral issue accordingly. If they are not Christian, then that is one less reason why they should quit.

For the alcoholic, it is not just about going to rehabilitation or going to Alcoholic's Anonymous that will help them to stop drinking, it is the willingness to move forward with their life, realizing their potential, and becoming the productive person God intends them to be. They don't need alcohol; it's only a crutch they use to make their life seem more bearable. But that is a lie too. In my opinion the one and only true way to get through the deceptions of the disease is through the workings of God. Rehab and AA are secondary to surrendering yourself to God. An alcoholic drinks because they need inner healing. Once they get to the root of their emotional wounds, they will be able to stop drinking for good! That's all there is to it.

Do you expect too much from the alcoholic in your life? Expectations will keep you on an emotional roller coaster ride with the alcoholic. They will bring you down and they will bring you up, and back down again. Whew, are you ready to get off that emotional ride and live your life? Understand that you cannot make the alcoholic come off the roller coaster with you. No, it does not work like that. First you come off and later when you are ready, you can slowly help them off.

Let the alcoholic know how much you love and care for them, but let them know too, you do not love the disease!! Therefore you will not help them to kill themselves anymore! Tough love is the way to go when dealing with the devastation of alcoholism in a loved one.

The Alcoholic Christian

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