When I thought about writing on this subject I didnt know exactly what angle I should approach first. I knew that it was definitely something that needed to be discussed, but to what extent? This past April 7, 2015 will mark my 4 year anniversary of being completely sober from ALL alcoholic substances. For those who knew me when I use to drink, they know the magnitude of this testimony. A lot of people like to ask, Are you sober from just hard liquor, or everything? My answer is EVERYTHING. To God be the glory. I dont even have a taste for it anymore. Being a young bachelor living in Los Angeles and finding myself on the scene thats quite a testament for my sobriety. Im writing you to encourage you via my testimony that alcohol sobriety can be done. You too can have the victory.

First off, to be completely honest with you I really enjoyed being intoxicated. Growing up in New Orleans the saying goes, Let the good times roll, and that definitely applied to me. It made me feel so free and energetic. It also mellowed me out and made me a lot more flirty than usual. For those who know me know that Im already a friendly peoples person, so you can only imagine what a little alcohol courage does for someone like myself. Once you start drinking for some time, you also begin to find your preferred taste. (These are my personal opinions) You know that drinking dark liquor can make you more chill, calm, and relaxed. Clear liquor on the other hand can make you very extra and over the top. Alcohol has a way of numbing the pain. It makes you forget about all your problems you have going on, and puts you in a good space. I believe only natural things should put you in a good space though. Like spending time with your family, friends, working out, and of course the word of God.

Some people are only social drinkers. The dictionary definition of social drinking refers to casual drinking in a social setting without the intent to get drunk. Usually social drinkers are out drinking celebrating good news or some type of accomplishment. They wouldnt dare call themselves an alcoholic because its not considered to be that serious to them. However, one can start off drinking socially, but in the unfortunate event that something terrible happens in their lives, one or two drinks can easily turn into five or six. Its undeniable that unfortunate things are bound to happen in our lives, however, that is not an excuse to use substances to deal with those unfortunate circumstances. Alcohol can make you feel like youre in a fairytale to get away from the true feeling. That feeling can be described as LIFE! Some people may go as far as to call alcohol a crutch.

Have you ever had that one dull friend thats just much more funnier to be around while their intoxicated? Some even blame it on the their lack of personality. I hate to say its true but some people are really more fun and interesting when theyre drinking. That is because alcohol loosens them up in ways they wouldnt normally be. I am not saying that this is right, but it is, in fact, true that alcohol helps enhance their personalities. I personally think they should just tap into their true selves and ask God to bring that out of them naturally. Clearly its in them they just have to tap into it. Once again alcohol brings along that good ole COURAGE!

Have you ever woke up and completely forgot what happened the night before? Scary feeling right? Well this happens all the time, but its just apart of the huge risk of drinking. Or maybe you actually do remember what happen and your totally embarrassed for your actions and theres nothing you can do or say to undue what you did the night before. People usually drink to wash away all of their sorrow, but end up in more sorrow because of bad decisions they made while being intoxicated. Luckily this has only happened to me a few times in my life. God definitely bestowed his grace and mercy on me while I was being a knucklehead. Hopefully hell do the same for you, but I wouldnt bet on it. I wouldnt take that risk and ask God to bail me out knowing I wasnt walking upright. God bestows grace and mercy however he feels. Favor on the other hand is for those who are living right and taking care of Gods business. Ill take the favor of God any day. Gods grace has been so clutch, I can only imagine where I would be if it wasnt for his grace and mercy.

Can you imagine the money you would save by not buying alcohol? That should be a motivator there in itself. Its crazy how expensive drinks are at the bars and clubs. I couldnt fathom going back to paying $20 plus dollars for a drink at a club or venue. The devil is very slick and cunning because he will not only rob you from your normal state of mind, but also rob you from your hard earned money. You wake up the next day feeling horrible both physically and financially, because you fell under the influence.

If you want to get the victory over something it first starts with your consciousness. You have to begin making more conscious decisions that will help you in your journey. Since I started my sobriety journey I dont put myself in those situations that I may find myself being tempted. To this day, my mom still tells me Dont give the devil any place. This simply means dont find yourself in situations where the devil could possibly tempt you.(or when your Faith can be comprised) If you know you JUST started your sobriety walk then its not good for you to be around people that enjoys drinking. Iron sharpens iron, especially when its something your still trying to get the victory over. We all have those friends that love to test our walk and really see how strong our will is. Peer pressure is the ultimate test of our self-discipline. We will either give in or stay strong, but WHY even put ourselves in those situations. Personally, I would save my will and self discipline for those situations that I have no control over. This is what I mean when I say we have to start making more conscious decisions.

Truth be told, alcohol can hurt you in more ways than help you. Alcohol ONLY helps you short term, but does nothing for you long term. We drink to have a good time but a lot of times we end up having the total opposite. Im not writing this article to condemn you or look down on anyone that drinks. Im writing to encourage your faith and to possibly help you slowly but surely let go of an unhealthy, expensive, dangerous, and scary habit. I also would like to invoke the spirit of Leadership in each of you. Being a leader and not a follower is one of the main reasons why I dont drink anymore. I really set back and analyzed how much of a follower I was while drinking and hated who I became. My parents didnt raise a follower. I look at it like this, when Im drinking Im under the influence of something else. If Im a true leader then why would I ever want to be under the influence of anything else. Why? That makes zero sense to me. Leaders influence people, they dont let things or other people influence them. Even in natural terms I tell co-workers and friends that I dont drink because I like to keep my mind clear. Sounds simple but very profound. When Im out and about and Im the only one sober people look to me to make sure their okay. In Proverbs 20:1 it says Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. If possible, we should try to stay sharp at all times.

A recentlyI heard a powerful message by Dr. Myles Munroe on Kingdom Living. One statement that really hit home was when he ask the question, How can grapes control your life? Were suppose to have dominion over the Earth. Were suppose to dominate the Earth, not let the Earth dominate us. We should enjoy the things that we can control. I like how he said, I take my alcohol through grapes. Were dominators and thats how we dominate. It also says in Proverbs 23:31 Dont let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, and it sparkles in the cup, and goes down smoothly. Another translation says, He that wait until the wine moves in the cup isnt wise.

I have nothing against anyone whom drinks I just know what God has delivered me from. I would be moving backwards in life, and thats not my goal. Life is about growth and development. Once youve truly overcome something its such an AWFUL feeling to go back to it. Whats done is done; thank God you finally got the victory and move on. Life should always be about forward progress!

After only two years of my sobriety I reached out to my mentor (Michael Evans) and ask him what his thoughts were regarding possible drinking beer or wine over dinner. He simply told me that I already knew the answer to that question. He proceeded to tell me the following: If it doesnt add to your life, why bother? I guarantee you if you never take another drink, youll never again become an alcoholic. A man of God should avoid the appearance of evil. Not that what youre doing is intrinsically evil, but does it appear so to others? What if someone who isnt as strong as you are, are going through the same thing and they see you, a man of God take a drink? They may think its ok for them, and go right back into alcohol consumption again? Is it worth it? I am also aware that it is NOT a sin to drink, but to be drunk. In Ephesians 5:18 it says, And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. The Bible definitely makes it plain for us to see the difference. I just dont see drinking being beneficial for my lifestyle, so it was just best for me to avoid it all together. Some people believe in drinking in moderation though. Different strokes for different folks.

Lets be clear sin is sin period. Alcohol is just one of the many things you have to believe God to get the victory over. Just like I have other aspects in my life that I have to believe God to overcome. True salvation is about striving for perfection. Were all going to definitely sin, but after being saved we shouldnt be practicing sin. Once we got saved, we were born again, and made new creatures in Christ. With that being said, we should act like it. If you sin, slip up, or miss the mark, thats okay its going to happen. Its just apart of our sinful nature, but we should also be slowly but surely believing God to get the victory over those things. Get it?

After reading this I really hope I encouraged you to make some changes regarding sobriety. I know things dont happen overnight and it takes time. We should go before God and desire in our heart to do better. We should live a life that is pleasing to God. Would God look down on your present lifestyle and be displeased? Honestly, it took a life changing experience for me to start my sobriety. Sometimes it actually takes something so serious for us to really open our eyes. Its just a crapshoot that youll actually live through that experience though. Those are some scary odds that I decided not to play with. Lets just say I decided to FOLD against those odds and live life accordingly. We have to know that God has much more for us and well be better equipped for him to USE US if we practice SOBRIETY. May God bless you, and continue to use you for his glory.

Peace&Love,

Perrilloux II.