Recovery Articles

Advent Recovery Reflection by JV

I can recall some twenty plus years ago feeling empty, hopeless, and nearly surrendered to the idea that I would never find freedom from my sexual sin. It was such a dark period in my life. I would fall repeatedly, repent, promise myself to never do it again, and promptly fall again! This

cycle went on for years. While I appeared on the outside to be a joyful servant of Jesus, I felt despair and lifelessness on the inside!

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining.”

But, thanks be to God, that was not the end of my story!

A brother in the Lord told me about his struggle with sex addiction – a term I had never heard, and that there are recovery groups for those who struggle with this type of addiction.

“Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices.”

From the first meeting I attended, Jesus appeared in a new way – and I felt my worth, and most of all, hope for my weary hopeless soul! I rejoiced as one who had just found a hidden treasure.

“For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

I truly came to believe that I was going to make it, and that I did not have to live a life of bondage to my addiction. I embraced the fact that working on my recovery was going to be a way of life for me. God, in his mercy, gave birth to a new desire in my heart to go deeper in my relationship with Jesus, be accountable to other men, and cry out to him whenever I felt weary and unable move forward.

“Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born

O night, O Holy night, O night divine!”

I am unable to express the solace and peace that I have found through my years of recovery by falling on my knees and casting my cares upon the Lord! I have learned through my years of recovery that the Lord desires my freedom far more than I do and is always there waiting to break the bands of my sin, soften my heart of bronze, and

remove the bars of iron that have imprisoned me for so long.

My encouragement to anyone struggling with sexual sin this advent season is to remember that Jesus is there for you, and he will never leave or forsake you. Take the first step and seek the Savior born so many years ago. Fall on your knees and cry out to him! Embrace recovery as a new way of life that will be with you until you go on to be with the Lord.

Advent Recovery Reflection by KW

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.”

Similar to the Israelites journey out of Egypt, I lived as a prisoner to the Pharaoh of addiction for the first quarter of my life. I’d always known I had serious issues, and that my world was totally unmanageable, but I felt powerless to change. If I’m honest, there was a big part of me that didn’t really want to leave behind the “pleasures of Egypt” and, while I would often beg God to free me from my captivity, my divided heart could never take my feet beyond the shore of the Red Sea. Looking back now, I can see how the Lord was with me all along, but I wanted Him to come as a magician, not a Great Physician (Luke 5:31). I wanted a microwaveable miracle rather than a painful process of collaborative-cleansing; comfort over change. But just as Moses was born during a horrible hour of enslavement, the birth of Christ was a prophetic promise of spiritual emancipation, which is why I love “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” This song is essentially the story of my life, and the age-old testimony of humanity. It reminds us that while we were slaves to sin, precious little baby Emmanuel descended from Heaven “to proclaim liberty to the captives…[and] to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Perhaps you find yourself battling with some besetting sin this advent season. May the lyrics of this song encourage your weary heart. “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Our freedom was the very reason that Christ was born; He loves you and will never forsake you. After all, Emmanuel means “God with us,” and so in our sin-struggles, addictions, and brokenness, Emmanuel is with us even there. Dear friends, open your hearts today and joyfully receive the gift of His sacred presence. No matter where you find yourself, Emmanuel is with you even there (Psalm 139:7-12).