Voices of Hope

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony… (Rev 12:11 NASB)”

We are overcomers. We have triumphed over hardship, circumstances and trauma.

As I sat in a training class this morning, I heard the voices of hope. Kurtis Taylor, the Executive Director of the Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina was presenting on how prevention and recovery are intermingled in addiction recovery. The other seats at my table were taken by leaders in the community, those working to prevent and educate people about recovery needs and concerns. Except for my friend and I, none of them were from faith- based organizations.

Kurtis Taylor, on the other hand, made a point to include God in his presentation. As he shared his testimony, his recovery story, at the conclusion of our training, It was very evident to those in the room that the powerful recovery from many years of addiction was solely due to the Power of God. I rejoiced as he continued to share his present accomplishments in order to give glory to God for what He had done!

There is a growing understanding in the recovery community of the power of testimony. There is a saying, ” There is no recovery without us.” Recovery stories have become a vital aspect of community based prevention and recovery efforts. What better way to educate people on the realities of addiction than sharing personal triumphs and struggles?

We are overcomers. Scripture tells us that there are two ingredients needed- Jesus and testimony! Through His sacrifice on the cross, the blood of Jesus paid the price for our sin. His blood paved the way for my salvation. We cannot truly overcome the enemy without Him. Recovery efforts without faith can definitely make a difference, but it is Jesus Christ who holds the power to banish the beast called addiction forever!

The second ingredient in overcoming is the word of our testimony. The Greek word for testimony was actually martyria which translates as evidence. According to Kyle Winkler (Charisma News), your testimony could be called “the evidence of what nearly killed you!”

We have a powerful opportunity to fight back against addiction. Sharing our recovery stories enables us to help those who will listen. We can be the proof that recovery is possible. Whether you are in recovery from substance use yourself, or a family member, you have a recovery story- a testimony. So what’s stopping us?

Shame, The stigma of being labeled, the risk of being discovered- fear keeps our families in recovery silent. We rob our community when we refuse to let ourselves be known! Yes, there is an appropriate time and a place for everything. I am not saying that we should run from house to house telling our life stories. But what if I were to ask you to share your recovery story with a group of people to give them hope that recovery is possible? Would you do it?

We need to share the voices of hope. There are men and women who desperately need to hear that hope is possible. They need to hear the evidence that you made it, and so can they. Sherie and I have decided to start The Voices of Hope Testimony Project. We are looking for people who are willing to allow their recovery story to be heard. Families in Recovery had a beautiful example of this last week as Aaron Ruchti spoke and shared how the Lord changed his life forever. We will be recording the testimonies of hope and sharing with the Families in Recovery community. As it says in Revelations 12, we will overcome him ( addiction, the enemy, Satan – aren’t they all the same?) through the blood of the lamb and our evidence of what nearly killed us.

Are you ready? Will you join us in overcoming? There is a contact form on this website. Let us know- if you are local, we would love to hear in person. If you are too far away, record yourself and send it in!

One by one the voices of hope will be heard!