Category: Faith in the Struggle

One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Luke 18:22 Addiction is characterized by the compulsive repetition of a self-destructive behavior despite negative, painful consequences. In my own life, this has most obviously involved opiate pain medications.…
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Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 18:18 If I were to criticize my own writing on faith and recovery, I think I would perhaps find fault with my emphasis on man’s role over God’s. I write repeatedly about how we must daily abandon our way for his. In reading my…
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Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. Luke 18:17 My father is a pastor, and so, growing up, I knew that he owned – and was the boss of – our local church. This knowledge gave me a swagger and confidence that…
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I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14 In jail and recovery meetings, I’ve heard many stories of relapse. They’ve almost all gone something like this: I was doing…
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God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Luke 18:13 It is generally not our nature to admit need and ask for help. Like the stereotypical male, lost while driving, most of us don’t like to allow others to know that we’re lost. We prefer to present a shiny facade that tells those around us that…
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The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Luke 18:11 In my drug addiction, I felt like the worst person in the world. I claimed to follow God, but I followed myself, even when I knew…
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Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. Luke 18:5 Every morning, for the last couple of years, part of my prayer time has been spent praying for those I know who are still living in active drug or alcohol…
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Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33 For the most part, there are two kinds of guys that come to jail Bible study. The first blames everyone else for his incarceration. His probation officer doesn’t like him, his lawyer is incompetent, and the…
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The kingdom of God is in the midst of you. Luke 17:21 It’s our nature to take even the best of things and warp them by doing them our way. A few times, I’ve heard the addict, in the throes of his addiction, explain that to share the gospel with other addicts, he had to…
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Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Luke 17:17 I’ve been through multiple cycles of relapse and attempted recovery. In the misery of each relapse, I lamented my destructive behavior, made some attempt to change, and then, as life returned to normal, I grew complacent. I sought God’s help while in crisis, but as…
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