| At some time or another you've probably all heard | | | | insist that you can have it both ways. |
| the Bible saying that you cannot serve two masters. | | | | Denial is a powerful mechanism, because logic and |
| "No one can serve two masters; for either he will | | | | truth have nothing to do with making a good decision. |
| hate the one and love the other, or he will be | | | | I'm doing this because I want to, and if I get into |
| devoted to one and despise the other..." Jesus of | | | | trouble with my drinking again, I'll just go back into |
| Nazareth was talking about serving God and wealth, | | | | treatment until I can drink and not have a problem |
| but for conversation, let's shift it to mean you cannot | | | | with it. I'm not denying that somebody out there can |
| drink and be in recovery. | | | | do this. The probability says otherwise. If you don't |
| There is a growing school of thought that suggests | | | | drink, you won't have the problem while you are |
| it's ok to drink and be in recovery, or you can go into | | | | going through recovery. How long is that? It's a |
| treatment and some day you'll be able to drink again | | | | chance in lifestyle. It's permanent. Why play Russian |
| in moderation. But what is true; does one drink while | | | | Roulette with your health? |
| recovering from drinking? Of course it is | | | | We want to drink to feel good. What is missing from |
| understandable that the one abusing alcohol would | | | | your life that alcohol is necessary to feel good? Can |
| want to get back to a point of balance in their life. | | | | God help fill the voids? Or, is one's own |
| You can read the blogs and on internet chat rooms. | | | | self-determination the only solution? You can see that |
| People want to drink. | | | | in the recovery field, there is a tug-of-war going on |
| I believe the whole mindset is a form of denial. | | | | between the spiritual and the secular. People who |
| Through will power and some sort of behavior | | | | have faith, regardless of their religion or |
| modification, I can still drink. I can partake in that | | | | denomination, have a completely different viewpoint, |
| which is killing me and ruining my life, because I am | | | | a different understanding. |
| going to control my impulses. It's like going out into a | | | | People who do not believe in God have their own |
| busy street and dodging cars. You may not get hit | | | | inner resources. They may have friends for support, |
| today, or tomorrow, but someday you're going to | | | | and in that you can recognize or identify a "power |
| get run over. Or worse yet, you run over somebody | | | | greater than ourselves," but it is still human driven |
| else. It happens all the time in Wisconsin. Somebody | | | | power, and limited by its very nature. Sadly, many |
| who has his/her life under control and knows for | | | | people cannot accept the idea of a god of some |
| certain that they can drink and drive, and goes out | | | | kind, or God, as many understand him. They may be |
| and kills somebody. | | | | successful in curbing their drinking habit, but unlike |
| If you've had a problem with alcohol, why would you | | | | those who are honest, open and willing to immerse |
| even risk it? Is alcohol so important that life lacks joy | | | | themselves in a 12-Step program, there is no |
| and fullness without it? Or, are you so completely | | | | transformation from being battered and broken into |
| selfish that you insist on having it your own way? | | | | being whole. |
| Alcoholics Anonymous established a critical boundary | | | | You cannot serve two masters. If God, as you |
| over 70 years ago-- that people need to abstain in | | | | understand him, is your master, there is no room for |
| order to manage their disease. There is so much | | | | the other master who is destroying your life. |
| more to life than alcohol, yet there are those who | | | | |