Prepare to Quit Alcohol

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Mindful Minute: There is no truer verse to meditate on considering how often and easily we find ourselves caught up in the things of this world. This verse is powerful in its reality, especially when we feel we are stuck in a pattern of using a substance that has taken control of our lives. The psychological slavery that we experience from using alcohol is the opposite of the freedom in Christ that we are promised as believers (Galatians 5:1). 

When we choose alcohol or other substances for that matter, we are choosing the world. Yet, this verse instructs us to understand that the patterns of this world are notfrom God. Romans 12:2 also goes on to tell us to test and approve these things so that we can understand what is “good, pleasing, and perfect” in His will. You should congratulate yourself, because you are testing right now through the reading of this devotional. You already understand that excessive drinking does not produce anything easily labeled as good, pleasing, or perfect in His will. The recognition of this essential fact is the perfect starting place for healing to occur. 

This verse emphasizes the importance of patterns (of this world)—repeated thoughts and behaviors that shape our lives. Misdirected patterns lead us astray, but creating new ones aligned with God’s will can set us on the right path to freedom. This verse tells us that we can renew our minds this way. Our God-designed brains are built to save energy by automating repeated tasks, making everyday activities like driving to and from work or tying our shoelaces effortless. Through the practice of new thoughts and behaviors, our brains rewire to strengthen these patterns. The brain is neutral, though. It’s like a tape recorder. It doesn’t distinguish between positive or negative habits and patterns of behavior. Whatever we repeat and practice over and over again rewires our brains into new pathways. Neuroscience affirms this truth, aligning with what God’s Word has always taught us about our ability to renew our minds. 

One of the key principles in preparing to quit is to begin “testing” the things that are good and pleasing to Him. This means that you should start becoming aware of and documenting the deceptions involved with this substance. Test what it is costing your relationships. Test what it is costing your productivity. Test what it is costing your mental health. Test what it is costing your overall health. Test what it is costing in your finances. And test what it is costing your relationship with your Heavenly Father. This awareness is the perfect starting point for being prepared to quit. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word today. I am grateful to know and understand that I should not conform to worldly patterns, and I want to test those things that are good and pleasing to you in order to develop a new pattern that will renew my mind. I pray for a convicted heart as I document what is good and pleasing and perfect in your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV): Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

Mindful Minute: On Day 1, we discussed Romans 12:2 which tells us not to be conformed to this world. God gives us this warning because the world is governed by a real and formidable force of darkness–the prince of the power of the air. This enemy is at work in the world, and his sole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). As believers, we are gratefully secure in our destiny and our salvation will never be at risk. We have been mercifully sealed with the power of the Holy Spirit, and we have been made children of God. In accepting this gift of salvation, we are now warned that in order to keep from falling victim to the strategies of Satan, we must remain sober-minded. 

We are told in this verse, that Satan’s desire is to “devour”. The Greek word for “devour” in the Bible is katapino, meaning to drink, drown, swallow up, or destroy. The enemy’s desire is to block or drown out the light-filled influence we are destined for through the power of the Holy Spirit, a light intended to guide others to Jesus. While our salvation is secure, losing our sober-mindedness can lead to actions that cause others to stray from Christ. With that type of living example, people might say, “If that’s what a Christian is, I want no part of it.” As heartbreaking as this is, it can be true. 

But remember, light will always overpower darkness and the great news is that you now have the awareness that there is an enemy at work trying hard to smother your light and influence in the Kingdom. The enemy’s efforts to control your life deserve your full rejection and contempt for this substance, contempt for the lies that come with it, and contempt for the one who is trying to distract you from God’s plan. 

Alcohol promises relief from anxiety but only creates more. It claims to offer courage while eroding self-confidence. This thief pretends to deepen connection in relationships, yet it destroys the ones that matter most. The lies are endless. Stay vigilant and practice awareness, recognizing the enemy behind these false promises. With this clarity, you will be prepared to quit and will draw on the strength of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation and stand firm. 

Prayer: Father, thank you for reminding me that there is an enemy at work in my life trying to redirect my thoughts and actions away from your love and comfort. I pray for awareness in all that is being stolen from me so that I may persevere in a path that is righteous so that I can exude the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit instead of being oppressed by the lies of the enemy. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:10

2 Corinthians 7:10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

Mindful Minute: This verse calls attention to two very different forms of sorrow. One version leads us to repentance and connection with our Heavenly Father, and the other leads us to a feeling of inadequacy and disconnection from Him. Godly sorrow is a remorse rooted in conviction when we realize the choices we are making are separating us from God. This is a healthy form of guilt that leads to repentance and is a normal reaction to sin. Godly sorrow represents that discerning inner voice or feeling that says we did something wrong. Thankfully, this Godly sorrow can be a gateway to transformation. Our Heavenly Father knows that sin abounds in this world and that we will struggle with it while in our earthly bodies. Godly guilt prompts us to confess and repent, turning away from sin and back toward Him. Through the work of Jesus on the cross, we are cleansed of our sins, allowing us to move forward free from the weight of our past. 

Paul discusses another type of sorrow in this verse that he calls “worldly sorrow.” We are warned that this type of sorrow leads to spiritual death. The spiritual death he discusses here is not a damnation to hell, but a resultant disconnection from Him. This is not because He is missing from our lives, but because we have turned our back on Him. This is the place where shame resides. Godly guilt says, “I’ve done something wrong, and I need to repent.” Worldly guilt says, “I am wrong; I am the problem; I am unfixable.” One focuses on the action to be corrected, while the other crucifies the person as fatally flawed in some manner. Unfortunately, shame is a powerful and destructive emotion that, if left unchecked, prevents us from experiencing the freedom of His grace and forgiveness. When facing the heavy charges of worldly shame, coupled with a sense of separation from God, it is no wonder so many find themselves stuck in the psychological slavery that goes hand in hand with using this substance. Shame is a showstopper to a healing path. 

Today, you are encouraged to unburden yourself from the brutal weight of worldly shame, and to remember that you are truly precious and forever redeemed by your loving Father in Heaven. You are completely unique; there has never been anyone like you in the past, and there will never be anyone like you in the future. You are a child of God, and your destiny is sealed with Him in eternity. Like all humans for millennia, you have fallen victim to the lies of the enemy. Shame will keep you stuck in a narrative that leads to spiritual death (feeling disconnected from God). Instead of succumbing to shame, use Godly wisdom and discernment to uncover the lies of Satan that have created loss in your life through this behavior. Repentance and grace are always available to you, every single day. 

Prayer: 

Father, thank you for sending your Son to the cross to bear my sins. I desire Godly sorrow, not worldly sorrow, so that I can turn away from this habit that produces sin and repent. I no longer want to carry the shame I feel because of this horrible habit. I no longer want to believe the lie that I am unworthy of your love and forgiveness or of overcoming this problem. Grant me the wisdom to see the lies of this world and help me release the shame I have taken on because of this repeated behavior. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

Scripture: Proverbs 23:29-35

Proverbs 23:29-35 (NLT):“Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. “Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it. I didn’t even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?”

Mindful Minute: On Day 4 of this devotional, we are looking for a continued pattern of wisdom and truth embedded in scripture. So many of us make excuses to justify turning to alcohol, even when this dependence is clearly in conflict with scriptural wisdom. God asks us to be of sober mind for a reason (Review Day 2). Noah’s drunkenness is recorded as early as Genesis (Chapter 9), and Noah’s consequence of being found naked by his children captures a good example of the unfortunate truths we experience when excessive alcohol is consumed. Reread today’s verse again while asking yourself if you relate to any of these consequences: anger and worry, needless arguments with others, debilitating hangovers, bloodshot eyes, and so on. Do any of those outcomes sound familiar to you? 

Today’s verse also touches on what we might call “romanticizing” the substance. We glorify and gaze at it as if it holds the promise of fulfilling all our needs in life. Yet, instead, this liquid adversary bites us like a poisonous snake and stings us like a viper. There is no coincidence here that this warning is akin to the warning for Adam and Eve in the Garden when they were deceived by the serpent. Just like in the story of Adam and Eve’s deception, we envision something better than what God has already promised us. We think there is something more we might be missing because of this deception, and the result is that we experience the ramifications that sting us severely. 

The truth is that God’s Word was written to prevent us from suffering the ramifications of being disconnected from Him. He loves us so much that He sent his one and only son to be crucified on a cross so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. To prepare yourself to quit, continue to focus on the truth of God’s Word, the truth of your circumstances, and the truth of God’s promises in Jeremiah 29:11: “” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” There is a brighter future without this substance that is stealing your joy and peace in life. To fight this battle, use the first piece of armor that is described in Ephesians 6:14, which is the belt of truth. Make sure it is securely in place by the time you are ready to quit. 

Prayer: Father, I recognize the truth embedded in your Word today. I have romanticized this substance and have allowed it to be a false distraction to the life I want to live. I want to document the truth. I want to practice truth, and I want to be armed with truth as I prepare to quit. Thank you for the sacrifice of your son on the cross so that my transgressions of the past can be forgiven, and I can look forward to your promises. In Jesus name, amen.

Scripture: Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1 (ESV): “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Mindful Minute: Many of us understand the word freedom to mean a personal independence that is individual to each of us. For those of us in the United States, it has more of a political meaning ascribed to the words “land of the free.” We attribute to it the sense of being able to make whatever decision we want, wherever we want and whenever we want. This interpretation is correct on some levels, as God has granted us the freedom to make our own choices, despite His broken heart when we turn away from Him. We can choose Him or not choose Him. We have the freedom to choose sin or say “no” to sin. We can walk away from God and ignore His biblical guidance, or we can choose to follow Him and obey His loving instructions. 

The freedom discussed in this Galatians verse is a different type of freedom, though. Since we live in a world that is the domain of the prince of the power of the air (refer to Day 2 of this devotional), and because our earthly bodies are subject to sinful desires, our freedom of choice can and does lead us to negative consequences, depending on the activities and behaviors we engage in. In John 8:34 (ESV), Jesus tells us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Because of this substance called alcohol, you already understand the truth of Jesus’ words in this verse because of the psychological slavery this choice has caused you. We want freedom from THIS consequence. This freedom can only be found in Christ and through the acceptance of the work He did on the cross. It is then that sin loses its power over us. We are free from the consequences of sin through repentance and the forgiveness that is granted in return. We have found freedom from the wages of sin, that is death (Romans 6:23). We have been guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16)! That is the freedom that is recognized in this verse. 

Because of this, in preparing to quit, we need to acknowledge that this habit has created psychological slavery in our lives just as was told to us in John 8:34. Continuing to engage in it will keep us in continued bondage. Christ has set us free, but we need to choose this freedom. We need to choose Him, and we need to choose to be obedient to experience this freedom. Use the wisdom of this verse to create a picture of yourself being freed from the psychological slavery of this habit. Get excited about the vision because God has a much better plan for you! Remember, you have the power of the Holy Spirit to help you through. 

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for this gift of freedom. There is nothing more I desire than the freedom from the psychological slavery I am experiencing. I desire to experience the freedom you promise me. I desire the peace and joy that only your freedom can give me. Please give me the power, through the Holy Spirit, to develop this vision for myself that you see in me so I can experience what you have promised. In Jesus name, amen.