Sobriety: Sobriety is living life within a set of intrinsic limitations and accepting those limitations as a positive, rather than negative, and adapting your life to those limitations. It is experiencing a healing, to be without fear, developing wholeness and becoming well in all areas of life. It is having a life free from fear and filled with hope for the future.

Being dry is different from being sober. Being dry is simply focusing on one area of life and trying to manage it, to the harm of all the others. It is like trying to be sober by focusing on the alcohol but partaking of the flesh in other areas such as sexuality, greed, or the love of money and power. You can lack sobriety in your emotions, i.e., anger, depression, or loneliness, yet be dry or lack the influence of an intoxicant in your life and still think that you are being sober. This type of action is just another form of denial.

Everything has limitations. Remember, as you practice life in your sobriety through grace you become better and better. You become well and you begin to mature. You begin to experience balance in all of life’s areas. You find new freedom from your submission and surrender to Jesus. You become a new creature in Christ. Your sobriety grows from the simple knowledge of grace, to wisdom in it; from wisdom in it, to living a life of understanding through it. You become teachable, humble, meek, and contrite in heart and spirit. Grace becomes your total way of life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Sobriety must always be an action. It cannot be allowed to become only a “state of being!” Sobriety embraces change. Change is not something to be afraid of but is intrinsic to sobriety. It should be grabbed with gusto and looked upon as an opportunity for good. Sobriety causes a maturing and growing up; it causes your character and actions to mellow. You are a new creation when Christ comes into your heart and life, and you can begin to identify and live out your life under a whole set of new rules and regulations. The ability to follow these rules and regulations is given by grace, which comes through faith. You will see more on this topic in lessons to come. (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23-24)


The Anniversary Periods
There are certain time periods that all people with life-controlling habits must be made aware of and learn to recognize. See The Anniversary Periods, Appendix 5


The Dream Factor
Another area that you need to be aware of in the early periods of sobriety is your dreams. Your newfound gift of sobriety, as well as your practice in sober living, will bring you joy beyond the boundaries of your imagination during the day. However, at times, you may find an unexpected area of confrontation that can, if allowed, rattle your cage of understanding regarding your mental state in this area of sleep. See The Dream Factor, Appendix 6.