Emphasis Preaching Journal

The first step for an addict to take toward being free from addiction is to admit that we are no longer free, in control of our lives. "Our lives had become unmanageable," we have to say. "We admitted that we had no control over [the alcohol, drugs, food, money, sex --fill in your addiction here!]" This is the hardest step of all, because we all like to believe that we are free and in charge, that we can stop whenever we like. It's just that we don't want to! Or, someone else made us use: "If only you weren't such a nag, I wouldn't need to get out of the house!" "What can you expect, you're such a loser, anybody would drink if they had to live with you!" "My boss is such a jerk, and his expectations are absolutely unrealistic. I had to use cocaine just to keep up with the workload!" "If you were in the constant pain I'm in, you'd drink, too!" And the refrain is, "You just don't understand!"

But like those being confronted by Jesus in this passage, the addict can only get well if she will admit that she is enslaved, or that his life is out of control. That if we could stop, we certainly would. But we apparently cannot stop.

All humans are actually in this position. We get angry, we are jealous, we curse, we judge one another, and we do nothing in the face of evil because we are convinced that we will be hurt in some way if we speak up or act. We are rude to those we love as well as to other drivers on the freeway. And we are apparently powerless over our behavior and unable to behave better.
--Herrmann