Lessons from one Sinner to Another

I was studying with a young man who was an alcoholic. He didn’t think he had a drinking problem; only his friends and family thought he had a problem.

One day in my frustration with his broken promises, I blurted out, “Why can’t you just stop drinking!” In that moment God gently asked me, “Esther, why can’t YOU just stop sinning?”

I wanted to argue that my sin was different, but how do you argue that in the face of a holy God. I expected my friend to take seriously his sin when I wasn’t taking seriously my sin.

I’m grateful that God doesn’t reveal my growth areas all at once—I would be overwhelmed. I’m glad that He offers not only pardon from sin but also power to overcome sin. He offers freedom.

This man who is now “once an alcoholic,” was used by God to gave me a shocking picture of myself and greater empathy for those struggling with sins that are different than mine. When I see a growth area in someone else, I’ve learned to ask myself, in what ways is my need for growth similar?