"LIVING WATER"

Discovering the true Fountain at the end of self-effort.

by La Shawn M. Barber

Five beers in under an hour -- a new record. I'd lost count of the number of beer cans hidden under my bed. When I reached down for one that was full and still cold, all the cans fell over. I'd taken to hiding beer so no one would know how much I was drinking.

It was sometime in January 1997, and I lay on the bed drinking and reading Drinking: A Love Story, by the late Caroline Knapp. I'd checked it out from the library in anticipation of starting one of my New Year's resolutions. Knapp's lifelong affair with drinking was chronicled in this autobiographical account of her life. As I finished a six pack, I was enthralled by her depiction of ritualized drinking and chaotic relationships. One woman's journey -- a story of inspiration and hope. Oh, how I wanted to travel on that journey, too!

The 'decision'

I'll stop soon, I told myself and knew I meant it. I'd finally come to the end of a long, wet road, and I wanted to dry out. I was 29 and had been drinking almost every day since age 18. I'd graduated from law school in 1996. Jobless, I lived in my mother's two-bedroom apartment with her and my grown brother and sister. My drinking had steadily and stubbornly increased over the years, and I'd reached a crucial point: Did I want to be a 30-year-old former drinker or continue for another 20 years and be a 50-year-old drunk?

I hadn't wanted to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or see a substance abuse counselor. I was determined to stop drinking on my own. I thought if I could stop cold turkey, without help from anyone, I would get all the recognition.

Drying out

On the night of March 18, 1997, I drank my last beer. I awoke the next morning smelling of it as usual. I threw on some clothes, grabbed the empty cans from underneath the bed, gathered the remaining alcohol from the refrigerator, threw it all in a plastic bag, and put it in the dumpster. That wasn't too bad.

I made it through the rest of the week without drinking. To tolerate the craving, I reasoned that my abstinence would be only temporary until I could learn to drink like a "normal" person. I told myself the lie day after day. At the start of the weekend, my thirst was strong and deep, like itching flesh under a cast. I'd go to the store to get something -- anything -- to drink. I bought a box of herbal tea because I'd never had it before. With a strong urge to drink, a novelty like herbal tea was enough to distract me from the real focus of my appetite.

New religion

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. The first few weeks were hard, but I'd willed myself to accomplish drying out. I'd fantasized about the praise I'd give myself once I was a "former drinker."

By the sixth month of sobriety, I began to think there was nothing I couldn't do. I abstained from other things like sex and cursing. I listened to radio programs like Dr. Laura's, and I thought I was becoming a moral and "good" person. I preached my new religion to anyone who'd listen. I told people that they had the power to change their own lives. They could control their habits and behaviors and choose for themselves the right thing -- even choose to be a moral being. Truth was my guide -- cold, hard truth.

Unquenchable thirst

Two years into my sobriety and sexual abstinence, my preaching sounded less convincing to me. I was no longer promiscuous, nor was I drinking; but something was missing. I still thirsted for the drink. I still craved the touch of a man's hands on my body. Two years of abstinence didn't seem so vast an accomplishment anymore. But I did it -- me -- all by myself. And I didn't need anyone to help me do it! If I could do it, they could, too!

My lifelong tendency to isolate myself continued into my sobriety. Instead of sitting alone in my apartment drinking beer and imagining drinking myself to death, I'd sit alone in my apartment sipping herbal tea, reading and obsessing about my life. I wasn't growing in any way, especially spiritually. I was a "dry drunk," a term used by alcoholics to describe someone who no longer drinks but who still thinks and acts like an alcoholic.

My greatness

My youngest sister, a Christian for eight years at that point, had been telling me how God had changed her life and how she'd been praying for me. She'd told me this for years, but I hadn't listened. Now that I was sober and "sinless," I wondered, What else do I have to do to get right?

"Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins?" my sister asked.

"Of course I do," I answered.

"Do you believe that you are a sinner in need of His salvation?"

I said yes, but didn't believe it. I thought if I could stop drinking by myself, I could do anything, including being good enough to achieve my own salvation.

Between numerous e-mails and telephone calls with her and Christian literature, the answer became clear: There was nothing I could do to get right. I could stay away from drinking alcohol and fornicating for the rest of my life and still not be "good."

The Fountain

That God had sent His only Son Jesus to die for my sins and that His death on the cross accomplished this was still too abstract. I'd been disappointed by the futility of my own hard work. I'd looked on those months of sobriety as my accomplishment.

I knew I couldn't go on like this, so I began to pray. I didn't know Jesus Christ, but knew I had nowhere else to turn. I wanted to know why I was still thirsty for drink, frustrated, and lamenting lost loves. He answered, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Christ was the fountain I needed to drink from.

As I read the Bible, I began to understand that I hadn't stopped drinking under my own power. But for God's goodness, I'd still be a drunk or worse. It was all God's work, and He was ready for me whether or not I was ready for Him. He'd sustained me through the long months of sobriety and turned me away from fleshly pursuits. He got the credit, not I.

Truth and love

The Lord used each stage of my sobriety as a way to the truth. I had desperately tried to apply moral principles to my life and follow the Ten Commandments. I'd been self-righteous and bold in telling others how to live. Now as I read the book of Romans, the Lord began to open my spiritual eyes.

Through the years, He's shown me that what I thought was my own work was actually His way of drawing me to Him. It is through Jesus Christ I am made right with God. By His goodness alone, I have been forgiven. He took the despair of drinking myself into oblivion and turning to men for physical gratification and shaped it into a love for the Bible and a desire to share it with others.

Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14).

The quenching water that eluded me for years is now mine in abundance. I have been sober for five years, and I no longer thirst.

Scripture quotations are from the New International Version.

"OVERCOMING ALCOHOL ADDICTION"

What does alcoholism look like, and what can the alcoholic do?

by La Shawn M. Barber

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler. And whoever is led astray by it is not wise (Proverbs 20:1).

The Bible is full of warnings against drunkenness. Alcohol, like a faithless lover, titillates and seduces but brings no lasting joy and contentment. Its anesthetizing effects wash over the brain, and with each sip, the cares of the world diminish. Habitual drinking may seem to take away the pain, but it leaves only disillusionment, destruction, and death. Dependence on alcohol is part of The Lie revealed in the Garden of Eden: that we are all gods who determine the course of our lives.

To determine that course, many people turn to alcohol. For millions of people, it is an idol. Since the Fall, humans have relied on many things to quench a "thirst" for answers, pleasure, or just simple contentment. Whether alcohol dependence is called a disease or a character flaw, it doesn't offer answers; it steals the soul.

Facts about alcoholism

Alcoholism is a craving for alcohol, accompanied by a loss of control over drinking. When a person addicted to alcohol tries to stop, physical symptoms of dependence usually occur. These range from mild (nausea, sweating, shaking, and anxiety) to severe (psychosis, seizures, and death). A person abusing alcohol craves increasing amounts in order to get the same "buzz."

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, one in every 13 adults abuses alcohol. Nearly 53 percent of adults report that one or more of their close relatives has a drinking problem. The consequences of alcoholism are serious and life-threatening: increase in the risk of disease, harm to the fetus during pregnancy, and death to self and others in automobile accidents. Homicide and suicide rates are also increased due to alcoholism.

Additionally, people who start drinking at an early age are at a particular risk of alcohol dependence. Men are three times more likely than women to become alcoholics, while people 65 and older have the lowest rates of alcohol dependence.

Are you an alcoholic?

How can you tell if you have a drinking problem? Here are a few signs:

You've tried to cut back on your drinking but were unable to.

You become irritable when people criticize your drinking.

You feel guilty about your drinking.

You need a drink ("eye-opener, "hair of the dog") first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover.

If you identified with any of these signs, you may have a drinking problem. But there is hope.

Where to seek help

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has helped millions of alcoholics achieve sobriety. But a Christ-centered recovery program is essential for spiritual and well as physical and emotional help. Although many members of AA believe they've found the solution to their drinking problem through a power greater than themselves, they define that power however they wish. But the truth is, dependence on Jesus Christ and His goodness is essential to recovery. Some AA groups offer traditional and Christian programs. Gathering with other believers is important in any recovery program.

Attending a vibrant Christian church and seeking counsel from a pastor will also strengthen and encourage the alcoholic in the battle with addiction. Other Christians can pray for the recovering alcoholic.

In addition to a local church, the following resources are available:

Christian Recovery Connection (http://crc.agrm.org) is an online database offering searches for local support groups, Christian counselors, residential programs, or other referral services.

Overcomers Outreach (1-800-310-3001; http://www.overcomersoutreach.org) uses the Bible and the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Alcoholics for Christ (1-800-441-7877; http://www.alcoholicsforchrist.com) provides resources for finding local groups or starting new groups.

Recovery Options (1-800-662-2873) provides referrals to Christian recovery programs in local areas.

In any recovery program, each day must be faced as it comes. As Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34).

Power of prayer

Alcohol dependence is only one of many vices we face in a fallen world, and no one is powerless against its temptations. In time, consistent, heartfelt, humble prayer will help release victims from the chains of addiction. Alcohol is slavery; God sets slaves free.

Prayer is communion with God. We ask forgiveness of sins and for peace from worries and fears, and we give thanks for blessings. Again, Jesus said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them" (Mark 11:24). Acknowledging the need for God and His healing power is the first step in what may be a long, painful recovery.

Divine healing

Because Jesus Christ overcame the world, He can help you overcome your drinking problem. If you are not a Christian, ask God to forgive you, save you, and fill you with His presence. Pray for His deliverance from fear and addiction. It is one step in your recovery you won't regret.

The Bible warns, "Do not be drunk with wine . . ." (Ephesians 5:18). Although sobriety is a worthy goal, a deepening, personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to a transformed life. Only a person truly repentant can be saved and healed from the torment of addiction. Jesus Christ heals the sin sickness that accompanies the pain of alcoholism. Seek help and pray fervently. Remember that God loves you. Depend on Him, and take it one day at a time.

Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.