Sobriety Because of God
I try to be REALLY authentic and honest with you all and I think I do a pretty good job. For instance, as you know I struggle primarily with my anger as noted here, here, and over here … just to name a few.
So this is not a post about my anger, been there done that. This is a post about addiction. On Monday, after listening to a sermon from a recovering alcoholic (sober for 12+ years) about what addiction is I loved that he said, “if you don’t know who you are without it, it’s addiction.” Definitively, because I love words; addiction is: “the quality or state of being addicted.” Absolutely, anything can be addictive including behaviors.
But the encouragement of this whole thing: Through the strength of Christ I can choose to be Sober for 24 hours and every morning because mercies are new (Lam 3:22-23) I can choose it all over again. Sobriety not from alcohol or drugs or substances but sobriety from sinful anger.
However, being a mom is tough. Kids are just hard! I love my children. I really and truly do but when they disobey, headbutt me in the stomach, spit in my face, etc, etc I truly do not feel loving and actually feel like strapping them to a chair until they listen! While I do not give into every feeling I do often give into the devil and briefly yell at the kid across the room or whisper a profanity under my breath. You probably do it too. Well, I also take out my days long frustration out on my hubby with a little more verbal force and sometimes take my frustrations out on cabinet doors. And maybe you do that too, and I’m here to tell you; it doesn’t have to be that way.
This week, every single day (so far) I have proactively and quite audibly proclaimed that “I choose Jesus.” Sometimes I have to remind myself that the choice has been made. But it goes right along with my years theme of: joy! I get the privilege of choosing joy and choosing Jesus first and foremost despite feeling anger or any other opposing emotions. I don’t have to act on my anger or pursue my sinful behavior. I want to. But I don’t have to.
Because of Jesus. I am thankful!!
