There are many challenges in our lives, many things that make us worry or upset us. Sometimes, we suffer from anxiety in social situations. Sometimes, we worry about bills or about problems at work. Sometimes we are afraid of whatever might happen tomorrow. Whatever it is that brings stress into your life, you may have given in to the temptation to use alcohol or other drugs to deal with that stress. In the end, drugs don’t really solve the problem. The use of drugs actually brings new problems into our lives. It has been said that only very intelligent people can maintain a drug habit. There is a lot of truth to this. Finding a place to use drugs and figuring out how to get them can be very difficult. Since getting the money needed to buy drugs often involves lying and deceit, you have to be smart enough to keep track of the lies you have told.
In the midst of the challenges of life, we can always trust in God. We don’t need drugs to cope with life, we just need God. The key to true peace involves trusting in God’s loving care for you. You will encounter many challenges that are beyond your ability to overcome. That’s OK. God is all-powerful and He can overcome all of the challenges you face. Trust in Him. Relax, knowing that you are held safely in the hands of the all-loving God.
This doesn’t happen overnight. Like any relationship, learning to trust in God is something we have practice. If you review your life, however, you will learn that the times you tried to rely only on yourself were some of the most difficult times of your life. By the same token, you were most at peace at those times that you were able to trust in God’s care for you.
Relaxing doesn’t come easy. It involves letting go of having to control things. You’ve probably heard the phrase: ‘Let go and let God’. If you can’t or won’t let go, then you may very well find yourself overwhelmed by the challenges facing you. If you can learn to trust in God, then you can learn to relax knowing that God is in charge. One thing you can learn from your experience of abusing alcohol or other drugs is that you’ve often made poor decisions about your life. Now, you can learn to make a great decision. You can choose to trust in God. Then, you can really relax.