Category: Faith in the Struggle

Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22:61-62 As I was speaking last night at a recovery function, I recounted my last relapse and subsequent disaster. One of the most…
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When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Luke 22:53 We’re supposed to recycle as much of our garbage as possible, which is a good thing. So, yesterday as I was cleaning out my car,…
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Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. Luke 22:42 Your life is a mess because you’re in charge of it. I found this written on one of those sarcastic quote-of-the-day calendars that someone laid on my desk at work recently. It was amusing, but…
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Pray that you may not enter into temptation. Luke 22:40 My addiction began when I first had an impulsive desire to indulge in a pleasurable but destructive behavior. I knew this behavior would bring immediate gratification and though I didn’t completely understand the long-term ramifications, I also knew it wasn’t right. This is temptation –…
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I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me. Luke 22:34 In my addiction, I felt constant shame. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I couldn’t stop. This caused me to live in a state of constant conflict with myself. My…
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I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:27 As I was meditating on today’s passage yesterday, I had a painful memory pop up. I was probably in fifth or sixth grade when, with a bunch of my peers, I attempted to elevate my own status by verbally bullying a younger boy. It…
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This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19 Unfortunately, I’ve put on a few pounds over the last couple of months. It’s not that I’ve gotten lazy. I still exercise most days of the week. My problem is all in what I eat. Holiday indulgences have…
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Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36 In my addiction, I continually hoped and prayed for the day when my appetite for the pill would just magically evaporate. I knew…
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Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. Luke 22:3 Looking back at all my self-destructive choices, those behaviors now look like temporary insanity. What is so clearly a bad decision in retrospect, seemed like such a good idea at the time. What happens that makes evil seem…
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They will receive the greater condemnation. Luke 20:47 If I asked you to describe my greatest failure in life, my drug addiction would no doubt come to mind. Nothing else I’ve ever done has caused me to wreck my family life, lose my job, or put me in treatment. In the calamity, I felt like…
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