The Messy Table (Part 2): A 7-Day Bible Plan For Women預覽

Kacie Frazier
No One Knew

After catching my husband in a series of lies, discovering missing money, and confronting his uncharacteristic mood and behavior, he broke down and confessed that he had silently been battling an addiction to alcohol for nearly a decade. Desperate to be free from his addiction, he checked into rehab.

The news came as a genuine shock and my mind raced with anger, fear, and uncertainty. I wish I could say that after hearing Brandon’s confession, I had total faith and embraced him with love and forgiveness immediately. Truth be told, I was a complete mess. I was devastated! This wasn’t supposed to be happening to me—to us. 

But honestly, the moment Brandon confessed his addiction, we both began to experience the first steps toward healing and victory. The very minute he allowed others into his secret, light started to shine—overcoming the darkness and illuminating the path to overcoming alcoholism for good. In many ways, it was the secrecy itself that held him captive for so long. 

Satan wants nothing more than to hold us as prisoners, chained to our sins. So of course he tells us lies and uses shame to keep us from experiencing the freedom God wants for us.

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy.  I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.” When we keep this in mind, we can learn to recognize Satan’s tricks. One of the biggest lies Satan tells us is that God won’t forgive us. But listen to the hope we have in Proverbs 28:13 that says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them they will receive mercy.”

The Bible tells us time and time again that if we confess our sins, we will receive forgiveness. Because Jesus paid the debt of our sins for us, He made the ultimate sacrifice. When we confess our sins, we can accept the gift of mercy, forgiveness, and ultimately eternal life with Him!

Overcoming sin and addiction is a daily battle. Recovery is a process. It is messy and painful, and there are often setbacks, but remember that according to John 8:36, “If the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.”

Table Questions:

1.   Can you recall a time when you received mercy and forgiveness when you perhaps expected judgment or condemnation?
2.  Is there unconfessed sin or addiction in your life that you are secretly battling?
3.  What steps do you need to take to confessing sin or addiction – big or small – that is holding you back from experiencing life to the fullest?