"You have spent enough time in the past doing what the heathen like to do. Your lives were spent indecency, lust, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols." (1 Peter 4:3)
Living in the Iban culture, there's something that had had passed to our blood throughout generations: the art of drunkenness! As a curious kid, peer pressure and non-family support, it is 'normal' for me and my friends to consume alcohol. Have you heard the words, 'Just a little bit its okay', 'As long as I'm not making any trouble', 'Just for fun' and the famous line for Christians (I wonder if they read it and understand it firsthand or not?)- 'Jesus drink wine too!'?*** Well, I used all the lines above when someone advice me to stop drinking alcohol. For a while it was practical to say so... but not until times reveals it weaknesses.
From a teaspoon to a small cup of alcohol, it kept on advancing to a large cup, a jug and then a bottle. Then from a bottle it starts to evolved much faster than the theory of Evolution... many bottles. Zig Ziglar said, 'All bad habits start slowly and gradually and before you know you have the habit, the habit has you.' From a casual drinker, I'd become a full-time drinker. This is the confession of Alcoholic 'taster'.
It took time to break this habit and there's no easy way. As much as I want to share with you all how I break this bad habit, I don't have enough space to write. If I write it all, you probably fall asleep on your keyboard. Harold Sala advices, "The motivation to overcome any dependency must be stronger than the force of the addiction." So I want to share the bottom-line of it all... to break any bad habits: Ask God for help, He is stronger than the force of addiction.
Deep down inside the heart of alcoholics out there is that they’re aware of their bad habit, they want to change but the only problem is that- they don't know how. Ask God for help. Billy Graham writes, "Why does the Bible so clearly denounce drunkenness? Because it is an enemy of human life. Anything that has is against a person's welfare, God is against." When God said, 'Do not...’ it always for our own good. His goodness and holiness doesn't change even if we choose not to follow His words. He wants us to change because it hurt Him, when it hurt you.
When I asked Jesus for help, he sent me people, resources and guidance for me to get rid of the addiction. It took time, energy and much pain to break the habit but just like gold is refine by fire, the outcome is worth to boast. If I were to summaries of what Jesus can do in your life, it is this: Changed Lives. He never promises that following Him would be all honey and no bees, but He did promise that 'I will be with you always, to the end of the age'.
What are the bad habits that you have now? Do you want to put an end to it? Do you believe that God can changed lives especially you? Would you let Him 'operate' your heart and endure the pain for awhile to gain your eternal life forever? Ask God for help.
If someday (I know it will soon) you're free from this bad habits, you'll find that the Word of God is true... do not be surprise when some of your friends might disbelief and may insult you in the public just because you're a change person. Risk it, u-turn to God's way and do not u-turn from it anymore.
Continue from the verse above. "And now the heathen are surprised when you do not join them in the same wild and reckless living, and so they insult you." (1 Peter 4:4)
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*** If the last excuse ever bothering you all this while, please drop me an e-mail for clarify.
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