Don’t Fall off The Wagon

A little over a hundred years ago, in the late 19th and early 20th century, there was what was called the temperance movement in the United States. 

It was basically an effort to reduce the amount of alcohol people drink.

One of its common symbols was the “water wagon” or “water cart.”

So what would happen was, when someone decided they would stop drinking alcohol, they were said to be on the wagon. Remember now this was a water wagon, so the term meant they were riding on the water wagon instead of indulging in alcohol, metaphorically speaking.

The water wagon referred to carts used to sprinkle water on dusty roads, but it became a symbolic image of sobriety. People on the wagon were pledging to drink water (or remain sober) instead of alcohol.

Now if a person relapsed and began drinking again, they were said to have fallen off the wagon, meaning they had abandoned their commitment to stay sober.

Over time, the expression took on a broader meaning and people would use it to refer to someone relapsing into any bad habit or failure to maintain a commitment, whether it’s related to diet, lifestyle changes, or personal goals.

To make a point, I want us to adapt this phrase to our own lives 

If any of you were alcoholics or drug addicts, you know the struggle that it was to stop. And you also know the determination and vigilance were required to maintain that positive change.

We thank God today that we are saved. Amen?! 

Many of us were living some real filthy lives before God arrested us and we started living for Jesus. Again, we also know that it’s a daily commitment we have to make to stay on course.

Luke 9:23 AMP version, Jesus speaking: “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”

We must do as the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

And 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”

 

Truth be told, life can sometimes feel like we are going down a real narrow path. And on the way there are still so many distractions and the path is getting longer and smaller.

We face so many challenges as we go through life, seeking to maintain our faith walk. 

But even more than someone overcoming drug addiction, we as Christians must remain vigilant to avoid relapse. We too must guard our spiritual lives lest we stray from God’s path. We must avoid falling off  the wagon.

Family, temptation is real and persistent. 

For someone recovering from alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, or whether for a sinner who recently gave their life to Christ, a moment of weakness can lead to relapse. A moment of weakness can lead to falling back into his or her old ways of sin. A moment of weakness can lead to us falling off the wagon.

The Bible warns us about the constant battle we face against sin and our flesh. 

In 1 Peter 5:8, we are reminded to,“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.”

So in our Christian walk, we must put on the whole armour of God. 

Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].”

As Christians, we must gird up our loins.

1 Peter 1:13 “So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

As Christians, we must keep in constant communication with our God through prayer, worship, and studying of scripture. 

Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.” 

And Colossians 3:16-17 “Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 

As Christians, Family, we must be careful that we do not remain vulnerable to spiritual backsliding.

When we fall, it can feel very overwhelming. I can testify and I believe there are those among you who can also agree.

When we fall, we feel so guilty and ashamed and useless. And many times, if we do not have a supportive family member or friend or spiritual leader to encourage us, we tend to believe the lies of the enemy that we are good for nothing, we are not worthy of God’s love or we are incapable of returning to Him. 

But I want to remind myself as I remind someone else today, that especially in these times, we must take heart. We must look up. Arise, shine. Speak to our disquieted souls as David did. 

Psalms 42:5 “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become restless and disturbed within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.” 

Family, be reminded today that we serve a gracious God. Our God is compassionate. Our God stands ready and is ever willing to restore us when we fall and we come to Him in repentance.

In Galatians 5:1, the Apostle Paul exhorts, “It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].”

So today and every day, let us encourage ourselves in the Lord. Stay on the path that leads to eternal life. Don't fall off the wagon.

When God delivers us, He sets us free not just from sin’s penalty but also from its power. 

Falling off the wagon in addiction or faith often begins with neglecting this truth: that through Christ, we have the strength to resist.

We quote the Apostle Paul a lot in these cases because he understood this struggle well.

He encouraged believers in Philippians 3:13-14: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We can also learn from Peter.

Peter had a powerful example of falling and being restored. Remember him? He boldly declared he would never deny Jesus, but in a moment of fear, he denied he even knew Jesus not once, not twice, but three times.

We can read that account in Luke 22:54-61.

But after realizing his failure, Peter wept bitterly. 

However, his story didn’t end there. Hallelujah. 

After Jesus' resurrection, Jesus lovingly restored Peter, giving him renewed purpose. John 21:15-19.

Family, your story has not ended. My story has not ended. We are yet alive today. God has given us one more day.

What can we learn from that? Falling off the wagon is not the end. God’s grace is sufficient to lift us up, restore us, and set us back on the right path. 

So even if we have stumbled, I encourage you, as I encourage myself, do not stay down. Do not let our past failures define our future. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and press forward.

Here are some pointers:

1. Remain Connected to God: Just as someone in recovery might attend meetings or seek support, we must prioritize spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers.

Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.”

2. Guard Your Mind: Be mindful of what you allow into your heart and mind. 

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”

3. Seek Accountability: Surround yourself with believers who will encourage and correct you in love when you start to waver.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.”

And

4. Remember God’s Faithfulness: When tempted to quit, recall God’s promises. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us that no temptation is too great for us to bear because God provides a way of escape.

“No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].”

So, if like me, you have ever fallen off the wagon, know this, be reminded of this, take heart in this promise: God’s love for you, for me, for us, has not changed and will never change. That’s why He pursues us with His love and grace and mercy and faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.”

And Psalm 23:6 reassures us: “Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.”

Today Family, as we start or continue through this new day, let us come to God in humility and repentance, being confident that no matter what we have done, once we confess our sins to Him, He will restore us. Glory to God.

Isaiah 1:18 promises, ““Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.”

Let this be our call to action: Stay on the wagon by abiding in Christ, for apart from Him, we can do nothing 

John 15:5 “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.”

And if we stumble, when we make a mistake, get up,  rise again, for our God is a God of second chances. 

Keep pressing forward, knowing that God has not left you helpless.

Philippians 1:6 “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].”

aub - 25Nov24

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