How to be delivered from the bondage of alcohol

[ava007]

Thank you for welcoming me.

My questions is this-I am a Christian and I still suffer from the bondage of alcohol and don't like a AA meetings-I am not a sharer, and don't like the pea brained idea of "whatever your higher power is".

I know other Christians who do not attend AA/or NA, but have told me that the Lord delivered them from their desire for alcohol and/or drugs. When Christ delivered them from their bondage, they were no longer an alcoholic, but were redeemed by the blood of Christ, and made anew.

I want HIS will be done, not mine-still struggling with that. But do believe HE can deliver anyone of anything, so what is the purpose of AA in a christians life?

I would like to hear others thoughts on this.

Thank you,
Ava

[soberstar22]

Iam Buddhist (Bodhisvattsa) and believe that anyone with your attitude should indeed stay away from AA ...

AA is not a Christian Fellowship and would not survive if it was "Christian Only"

I have every respect for your belief in your God, however I might remind you that no one that I ever heard of got sobered up in a Christian Church ..

Dave

[admin]

AA helped bring me back to having a relationship with God. AA has also helped me in learning to live my life sober and clean one day at a time.

I do know of people who drunk terribly who never attended AA but started attending church and today are sober. All things are possible with God.

[Popa G]

As individual as we all are and as different as each of our additions is we all have one thing in comon.We are all addicts.
If you don't feel comfortable in certain AA meeting, try another one. Not all meetings are structured the same, and sharing is not allways required.
Someone in AA with 21 yrs. of soberity said," feelings, weather good or bad are just that, feelings". There are other avenues of recovery, AA is the most available.
God, or a higher power created everything, Christian,Buddhist, or Peabrained.
You are doing the right thing, looking for help.

[Jock]

It's fine to respect other peoples belief in their God, but to dismiss that alcohol kills is surely missing the point completely. Dead people don't end up believing in anything at least not consciously at any rate. I would never advise anyone to stay away from aa regardless of heir spiritual, religious convictions or beliefs or if they belive in anything at all. Alcoholism is a deadly illness, as the big book correctly puts it; "Many are doomed who fail to realize their predicament" What we have here with Ava is a poor confused mixed up girl who seems not to know what to do for the best. Getting sober will at least remove the immediate threat to her illness progressing and ending her life preaturely. To get on the road towards getting sober, all that's required to make a beginning is; "Don't drink" and "don't die". The Big Book of AA points outs that without help it is too much for us, that's been proved by legions of alcoholics who tried to find an easier softer way. But there is One who has all power. That One is God. However, the mistake most people make about alcoholism is that the alcoholic only has a drinking problem. If that is the case with an individual, then he or she is not an alcoholic according to the type describe in the big book. there are many people who drink to excess but are still not alcoholic. the difference between a drunk and a alcoholic is that the drunk loses his feet and falls over and goes to sleep. The real alcoholic loses his sanity which means for those so afflicted, they arrive at the doors with far more than just a drinking problem hence the reason it is described as a three-fold illness. An illness of the mind, body and soul. I'd advise go to any lengths to get well Ava including AA. These people know what they are doing. I wish you well.
Blessings in Him.

[Mountainman]

God has always given man a way to escape sin

how did one's get sober before AA 1935 ??

many over the years did it with the help of God

I have seen many get sober in Church

God has always offered man a way to escape sin

and for a drunk such as me

drinking was a sin when I drank

note
AA is also a good place
for
fellowshiping with others in recovery
hearing war stories of one's who went back out
and
realizing that we do not want to

can help to make one very grateful


MM

[skyhook]

I have every respect for your belief in your God, however I might remind you that no one that I ever heard of got sobered up in a Christian Church ..


Christ has been healing people (including non-christians) without their knowledge, credit or fanfare for centuries...inside and outside of the Church.

[VioletAmethyst13]

Random brain fart from Violetta:
I used to belong to a congregation here in Boston called Ruggles Baptist Church and for years they had a food pantry ministry. They would always offer to pray with the people who came for a bag of free groceries but would never force it on anyone. There was this man Vanny who came for many months and always said 'no' to praying. One day (as he later admitted) he said 'yes' simply because he felt guilty always getting the food that he needed but not letting Pastor Larry have the prayer time that he needed. Vanny had a terrible drinking problem and cigarette addiction . Larry prayed with Vanny with Vanny knowing that it was a load of crap (his words not mine) and that it was not going to work plus he only wanted to quit drinking not stop smoking. He received Jesus as his saviour. Well he went home got a beer out of the fridge, sat down in his favourite chair, lit up a butt and then looked at one hand then at the other and then said, ' What pray tell am I doing?? I do not want either of these! Wow that's weird!' He threw away the beers and the cigs and never smoked or drank again (over 15 years the last time I spoke to him). And he was not one of those dry drunks either (big fat smelly annoying jerk). He never went to aa or therapy or anything other than religious activities and was truly sober. So God really does do cool things. I used to be really mad at God because I struggled and fought and could not stop but then I finally just was happy for Vanny and figured that my path is different than his and that that is okay.
AA and all 12 step fellowships stopped being the right path for me to walk a long time ago and I finally listened to the LORD about 3 years ago and stopped attending those meetings. I am living the spiritual principles that undergird the steps. If people find the fellowships helpful I honor that and I ask that people honor my path and do not call me 'a loser' and 'in denial' and 'not in recovery' because I no longer attend those meetings (as do people at every meeting in my area). aa here in boston is excrutiatingly toxic and I tried for years to keep going to simply give back what I had been given but it did not work. I was being poisoned mentally, emotionally, spiritually and drained physically and then the LORD showed me that that is NOT His will for me and that I can help other people any where they cross my path and I meet them in my life.
After I obeyed the LORD and left the fellowships (not just physically but in my heart) my sobriety increased exponentially--physical, emotional, mental, attitudinal, and spiritual sobriety. For me staying there was interferring with my getting and staying free.
That is my experience, strength and hope.
As I said, I respect any path that anyone chooses to walk to get help and I do not criticise or judge and I hope that I will be afforded the same respect and dignity.
Peace and blessings to all from Yeshua
Violetta