The following story is a powerful testimony to the power of God in the life of a now ex-addict.
The early meetings that AA sprung out of, I believe, were truly Biblical. These groups of believers were called The Oxford Group. But as time (and actually it didn’t take very long) went on the truths that were taught in the beginning began to get watered down. There was much controversy in the ranks and now AA is a Monster.
I think things that end up in error, do not always start out that way. Nevertheless, AA is not the Word and it cannot do for someone what the Word and Jesus can do. It is not the place for Christians who are seeking help. It will just confuse their faith and walk with the Lord. And I would agree that those that attend are condoning error and perhaps even causing their brothers to stumble, even if they say they do not go along with all of it. I taught a Christ based recovery meeting for several years and taught that addictions were strongholds and sin. I, myself grew up in an alcoholic home.
At age 30 went into a secular treatment program where they used the twelve steps. During the 30-day stay there, they walked you through the first 5 steps. I had just gotten saved and the light went on that I was an alcoholic prescription pill addict. Those five steps seemed to lay out for me what I needed to do to get free. I wanted to be free and it was obvious to me many there did not. And I have to say that those that did not want it for the large part had no clue who God was and really were not interested in finding out. I never had another drink or another Valium after my stay. That was in 1981.
The unfortunate thing about AA is they tell people that if they don’t stay in the flow of AA they will go back to using. So I went to meetings very frequently the first few months until someone invited me to a Church that was preaching the Word and teaching the believer who they are in Christ.
I was learning I was a new creation in Christ, old things had passed away and all things were made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). I was learning to reckon myself dead to sin and alive unto God (Romans 6:11). I was learning that I could and needed to put off the old man and put on the new man that was created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24). It was music to my ears.
The Word of God truly became my medicine. It was life to me and health to all my body (Proverbs 4:22). I began to realize that it was truly the Word of God and it would never be AA that would keep me sober. It was the treasure hidden in the field that I would make my priority to find and keep.
Those are the things that I would bring to the attention of those seeking recovery and freedom from addiction. Many Christians now, and in the past, have been warped by the teachings of AA.
We can point them back to the Word of God. I challenge them, why would God send many of his servants, many who had been addicted to various things at one time, overseas where there were no AA meetings to attend if they were ” going to relapse if they neglected their meetings? ” He wouldn’t because it is not AA meetings that can keep a Christian free. True freedom is found in trusting in Him and living through, and abiding in His Word.
I disagreed strongly with the Christian Recovery Groups that encouraged the people to also attend AA and most do. My heart was to show them their real need was to get into bible studies and the like and if they would stay in the flow of that they would stay sober.
By the way, in treatment I got delivered from alcohol and drug addiction but I was also bulimic. I was afraid to tell the treatment program that I was! That was the biggy for me. I could learn to say to the drink or the pill, “No! I do not have to ingest you!” for lack of a better word. I could just not touch them. But I had to eat! I was addicted to eating and I could not just stop. I had to learn to eat in moderation. Wow, with drugs you just do not even go there. An addict will never be able to use in moderation. You just don’t use. But I had to learn to eat in moderation. That is asking more than enough.
To ask an addict to do in moderation the very thing they crave to do sounds absolutely impossible! But with the Lord, nothing is impossible! When I went into treatment I was popping valium, drinking, smoking 2 and 1/2 packs of cigarettes and throwing up sometimes three, four, five times a day! When I got out of treatment, I was still smoking and throwing up but within a few years I was doing neither.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36
m'kayla's korner 