February 7: A Way of Escape
The craving has been sitting on you all afternoon. It feels like it will never let go.
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Paul says three things in this verse that matter right now. First, what you’re facing isn’t unique. Other people have felt this exact pull and come through it. Second, God is faithful. He won’t let you be tested beyond what you can bear with His help. Third, with the temptation, He provides a way of escape.
Not “you’ll never be tempted.” A way out.
A craving lies about time. It tells you it will last forever unless you give in. In reality, most cravings rise, peak and fall, often within twenty or thirty minutes. They come back, yes. But each one passes, and each one you get through without drinking tends to make the next one a little weaker.
The way of escape is often very ordinary. It might be the phone in your pocket. It might be the meeting starting in an hour. It might be getting up and leaving the room, the party, the store. It might be eating something, because hunger amplifies cravings. It might be a cold shower or a fast walk around the block. It might be praying the same one-line prayer over and over until the wave passes.
This is where Step Two becomes practical. Believing that a Power greater than yourself can restore you isn’t just an idea for quiet moments. It’s what you lean on in the hardest twenty minutes of the day. You stop relying on your own strength to white-knuckle it, and start looking for the door God has already put there.
Look for the door. It’s there. It might not be dramatic. It might just be a phone number.
If cravings are coming with physical symptoms like shaking or sweating, that’s your body asking for medical help. Please get it.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
One thing today
Write your way-of-escape list now, while you’re calm: three people to call, two places to go, one thing to eat, one prayer to say.
A prayer
God, this craving feels bigger than me. You said You’d make a way out. Show me the door right now, and give me the will to walk through it.
For more help in the moment, see help with alcohol cravings. This month: Step Two.
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