And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

Ezekiel‬ ‭11‬:‭19

Rebirth requires our participation. It’s not a passive event forced on us, but rather an opportunity opened before us.

Having had the unique opportunity to live in the heart of addiction for however long we have spent there, when we come into the sunlight we are equipped with valuable insight and dangerous misgivings.

We are able to encourage others in a way that is impossible for those who have not experienced what we have. This is vital to the suffering addict. But it’s also only possible if we do indeed continue walking out of the wreckage and into God’s will.

Certainly there are circumstances and sometimes people who have directly intervened to sober us up, but at some point, we must get rid of the training wheels and set out on our own.

There is very good news for us when we do. Renewal is promised—a new heart, a transformation from bitterness to warmth, apathy to love, death to life. But it costs a lot.

We may second guess our course of action as too drastic. The discomfort of sobriety and the pressures of society may feel too much without a crutch.

Did we really need to change everything? Perhaps moderation really was the key. A little bit of knowledge and a time of drying out should be sufficient to control and enjoy our drinking now, right?

It is good practice to shoot ideas like this in the head. This slippery persuasion can quickly become an incessant demand in the background world of our thoughts. Airing it out and discussing with a trusted friend can do wonders in bringing us back into the sunlight of reality.

And once there, take a look around. Sure, getting sober is full of tough times. But it’s also full of pivotal, helpful days where we do feel the nearness of our Creator and the benefits of His blessings. When we can rightly focus on the gift of our sobriety rather than its burdens.

Wallow in this, roll around in the warm reflective wonder of the miracle of rebirth. And let it inform the actions that you take.

God, stir up in me a right reflection of circumstance.