“Pick me up and throw me into the see,” Jonah replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
One of the most selfish things you will ever hear an alcoholic or an addict say is, “My drinking (or using) affects only me.” But overwhelming evidence exists that this is patently false. Ask any employer if his alcoholic employee is reliable, has ever been late for work, or called off from work entirely, or struggles to get along with his fellow workers, or has struggled with his performance.
Ask an alcoholic’s friends if his drinking has led them to distance themselves from him, causing them worry and concern. Ask an alcoholic’s family, his wife and children, if his drinking affects only him.
When Jonah tried to run away from God, his disobedience put others at great risk. Rather than turn around and go back to Nineveh as God had commanded him, Jonah chose to remain defiant even in the face of a certain death.
Disobedience is often rooted in denial and pride. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh, and initially his pride wouldn’t allow him to be used by God to save them. Only until he found himself in the bottom of the sea did Jonah come to terms with his disobedience, pride, and denial.
God has a purpose for even those of us with a history of alcoholism and addiction. But like Jonah, we must be willing to forfeit our pride and denial and turn back to Him for help and guidance.
In the end, Jonah’s preaching to the people of Nineveh would lead to the greatest revival in the entire Old Testament. All because he turned back from the path he was on.
God can do the same with us.
Former Blackout Artist 