January 11, 2026 Devo

A couple of days ago, I wrote about “Bright Spots” in my devotional. Those are places where you see God working and moving. One of those Bright Spots in our church is our Celebrate Recovery program. Celebrate Recovery is a faith-based 12-Step program that helps people find healing and wholeness from hurts, habits, and hangups. Addiction, woundedness, and dysfunction are a part of almost all of our lives. Celebrate Recovery is a wonderful place for people to focus on and find help for dealing with these issues. But unlike secular 12-step programs, Celebrate Recovery is clear about the source of healing and freedom. It’s found in Jesus Christ. He IS our Higher Power.
We don’t talk enough about addiction in the church. But we need to. Like many others, I grew up in a home of addiction. I still have to deal with the emotional, spiritual, and relational fallout of its impact on my life. I’ve had close friends and family members who have died from addiction’s grip. I’ve had many others whose lives have been upended, whose marriages have been destroyed, and who have lost everything because of an addiction that consumed them. They say nothing becomes powerful until it becomes personal. Well, recovery has been personal for me. My guess is it’s been like that for many of you as well.
Our passage today paints a picture of a culture consumed by addiction. If you think it’s not us, listen to this statistic I just read today. “Over one-half of American adults have a family history of problem drinking or alcohol addiction.” And that’s just alcohol. It doesn’t even take into consideration substance abuse, sex/porn addiction, gambling addiction, or our favorite “Christian addiction,” food. Yeah, it’s everywhere.
Just like the Israelites with their wine, all these things become a substitute god for us. We turn to them to medicate our pain. We use them to escape our past. We cling to them to fill our loneliness. But they don’t do any of that. They just numb us for a while and slowly steal away our lives and everything sacred to us. And that sends us into a whirlpool of shame and self-loathing.
So, let me be clear. Jesus is who you are looking for. He’s a Healer, a Redeemer, a Hope, and a Friend. He’s also a Chain-breaker who can set you free from the cycle of addiction. Got a hurt, habit, or hangup that you need to deal with? Don’t let it take any more of your life than it’s already taken. Bring it to Jesus, find a Celebrate Recovery or other Christian 12-step group to share your journey, and start living the life God intended for you today. Ask any of us who have been down that road. The answer you’re looking for isn’t in a bottle. It’s in the Bible. That’s God’s Word for you today.