LK 5:31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

When we have had a history of addiction we usually have a history of pain and loss as well, and sometimes when you least expect it some of these old wounds come to the surface and without warning you can get attacked by what I call the resentment monster. Things like past divorces, loss of children, loss of a career or health, or even loss of our good name can come back to haunt us emotionally, and we must be ready and armed with the truth should that old pain come to take a fresh swing at us. The truth is that we all fail in life, but those very failures are what drives us to God for help.

You see, we all suffer loss during our addictions and it doesn't hurt so bad when the addiction is keeping the pain down, but once that pain reliever is gone and once we see later on exactly what we have lost and cannot get back, it can hurt terribly and create strong emotional pain that you may be tempted to relieve with your old familiar addictions. Old feelings of shame, guilt, and remorse can take a good day and make it very bad in a matter of moments if we allow it to, so if this happens just take a deep breath and let God speak truth into you that your life is different now because of Him.

We all falter in life in different ways and if you have a chemical imbalance or you are genetically predispositioned toward addiction then it is just a matter of time before you create some kind of pain and loss in your life because of it. But the good news is that God can heal you and give you a fresh start in life no matter how messed up things have become. There are no failures in God's kingdom, just people that figured out they need His help. There are many addictionless people that never find God because they have no need for Him. It's the sick that need a doctor and guess what, we are all sick.

God loves you and He will do His best to bring restoration into your life even after you have lost everything because of addiction. Some things cannot be restored, but other things can be. God can heal your body, give you a new career, a new marriage, He can bring back your children, and even restore your good name and reputation as you serve Him. He just needs your daily obedience. There is no need to be attacked by the resentment monster anymore if you know the truth that our shortcomings and apparent failures are God's very opportunities to build a new and wonderful life for us.

JER 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.