Twenty years ago, I had my first drink and continued to drink for the next 11 years. The more I drank, the more tolerable my life seemed. But I was actually in spiritual bondage (unsaved) and shackled by my addiction.
In an alcoholic fog, I skated through a series of relationships and jobs, blaming my immoral behavior on blackouts and other people. In an ill-fated quest to recapture the first “buzz,” I continued to spiral downhill. A few months shy of my 30th birthday in 1997, I suddenly wanted to stop before I hit rock bottom.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the Holy Spirit was working in me. The shame of alcoholism became overwhelming. But after I was sober, I still felt ashamed and disappointed.
I knew what I needed to do: turn to Jesus Christ.
I surrendered my will to Him, and He saved me. God’s grace liberated me from sin and shame. I realized that separation from Him is infinitely worse than alcohol addiction. I am no longer a slave because the chains have been broken.
God planted the thought in my mind that I needed to stop destroying His temple. Whenever I lament about the past and want to kick myself now, people usually say, “What you’ve gone through makes you the person you are today.” I know it’s the truth.
The joy and peace I searched for in a bottle was found in Jesus Christ. At age 38, I have been sober for more than eight years, and I am free!
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James Lasher 
