Great Peace

[MajestyJo]

Found it ironic, all the verses I read earlier about joy said to enjoy your sweet wine and food, and yet they turn around and say, "...don't be tempted by temptation and that drinking is a sin."

I loved my white wine, red gave me a head ache. When I drank wine, I got into my most trouble. Generally, more wasn't enough and I switched to rye and coca-cola.

How can we serve the Devil and God too. I knew growing up that what I was doing was against everything that my church taught. Don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance, etc. to be aware where these things will take you. I ignored it of course, but in the long run, to know peace and meet up with God, I had to give up all drugs including cigarettes, although it took me 7 years in recovery to be willing to give them up. They gave me the most guilt. When I quit smoking, I went to church, had communion to make an amend to God. Left the church and haven't been back, knowing I could, but so much of the love is conditional, and I found my God in the rooms of recovery. It is the God there, that allowed me to find peace and serenity. All my life I lived in fear, fear that I was going to be struck down at any time, and as my disease increased, so did my fear.

Philippians 4:7King James Version (KJV)
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

My God may have understood while I was using, but that didn't make it right. It seemed right in the moment, but I always knew it wasn't my God's Will for me. I just knew that I couldn't serve God and use drug and alcohol and the same time. Alcohol and drugs closed God off, erected barriers, and I couldn't hear Him for the sound of my own voice or the voice of my addiction.