By Brandon Sutton
Holiday times are challenging for everyone, but for recovering addicts and alcoholics, they can be deadly. We all struggle as we must deal with family, a busy schedule and sadness as we face another Christmas season without a loved one. But for the addict/alcoholic, these are not only challenging times, they can also be the cause for relapse. These are times we used to use to cope and have fun, but now we must deal with life on life’s terms. Many AA and NA clubhouses keep their doors open 24/7 and have someone scheduled to be always there for this very reason.
But I want to encourage you to re-direct your eyes this Christmas season to the Savior who has come for His people. At the end of the day, what we often lack this time of year is peace, hope and joy because of our circumstances; yet this is precisely what the incarnate Christ offers by His coming. The reason He was named “Jesus” is because He came to save His “people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). We may face earthly challenges, but our sins have been paid for by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. By grace and through faith, we have been reconciled to God, granted eternal life and now He calls us children of God.
This means we’re at peace with God, we have cause for joy and reason for hope. Our joy that isn’t based on circumstances. The hope He’s given us can’t be manufactured and the peace in our hearts surpasses understanding. Christ is our solid rock.