READ: PSALM 145:18-19; EPHESIANS 5:18; 1 JOHN 5:14

5/30/25

God, please help my family. I don’t like it when my stepmom, Anna, drinks. I want to love her, but it’s hard when she’s drinking. She turns into a completely different person. I’ve avoided coming to my dad’s house because her drinking is pulling our family apart. Please help.

6/15/25

Today was Father’s Day. While I’m grateful for my dad and Anna, it was uncomfortable for me to come and visit. I get nervous when she drinks around me. I know that, at a certain point into her drinking, I can’t talk to her at all. At least I can talk to You, Jesus. Can You help my family find a solution?

7/1/25

Today we had an intervention for my stepmom’s drinking. I organized it. My dad, sisters, and I all shared how her drinking has affected us. While it was a painful experience to go through, I’m glad we did it. I think it has brought us closer together. We even learned that Anna wants to go back to school to get her MBA! That is so awesome! I’m proud of the progress our family is making.

7/10/25

Anna and my dad began attending an alcholism recovery group together. They both stopped drinking. Thank You, Lord, for helping Anna overcome her addiction.

8/25/25

So I found out the news when I came home from school today. In fact, no one had to tell me. I spotted a red wine stain on the floor, and then went upstairs to find Anna—drinking. I thought You were going to help our family out, Lord. Now she’s spiraling into this addiction again—I can’t take it! Why are You putting my family through this? What are we supposed to do? Please help us, Jesus, please. • Amber Metz

• Today’s devotion is based on a true story. Have you ever tried to help a loved one with an addiction? Are you struggling with an addiction yourself? Who can you talk with about these tough issues—such as a pastor, parent, teacher, counselor or someone else you trust? *

• It can be difficult to know how to show the love of Christ to a loved one who is struggling with an addiction. God calls us to show tenderhearted compassion to those who are hurting, which may include setting up healthy boundaries in some situations. And even when we aren’t sure what it looks like to love someone well, God provides an abundance of wisdom and guidance through His Word (the Bible), His Holy Spirit, and His people (the church), and He empowers us to do whatever He calls us to do. What questions do you have about loving someone who has an addiction?

• Jesus is always there. He knows your hurts, so you can talk with Him about anything (Psalm 56:8; Romans 8:26-27; Hebrews 4:14-16). What things from your life can you cry out to God about today?

• There is hope for every broken situation because Jesus has already defeated sin, death, and the devil through His own death and resurrection. Yet oftentimes the road to recovery is not straightforward. Thankfully, Jesus has promised to walk with us every step of the way. His love and forgiveness do not waver. And if we’ve put our trust in Him, we can look forward to the day He will return and make all things new—then terrible things like addiction will be gone forever. If you want to know more about this good news, check out our "Know Jesus" page.

* If you need someone to talk to, you can request a free conversation with Focus on the Family’s Counseling Department by calling 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time). Please be prepared to leave your contact information for a counselor to return a call to you as soon as possible. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NIV)