A guest post by Paula Peckham
As a Christian, I’ve often wondered how non-believers deal with hard times, such as the death of a loved one, or a devastating event like divorce, abuse, or loss of a job. Christians can bring our problems to God and draw on our belief in teachings from the Bible, such as Romans 8:28 (NIV), which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
But non-believers don’t have that. So how do they handle extreme problems? In my upcoming release, Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, my male main character, Derek Norton, is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober for over twenty years, but despite the elapsed time, he still faces the occasional struggle with the temptation to drink.
One of my family members is a recovering alcoholic, and she and I talked quite a bit while I was writing the book. She has been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for decades and shared with me from their literature—particularly the Big Book—which references God by name over 300 times. AA teaches that a person cannot overcome alcoholism on their own. They need the help of a Higher Power.
Our society tends to view addictions as a failing, a weakness, and an indication of bad moral character. And rather than offering a helping hand, it shames us for that. But God teaches us people deserve second chances. Despite squandering his father’s money, the prodigal son is welcomed home. No questions asked. No explanations demanded. Just a happy heart, glad to see a beloved son return.
We are charged by God to love as he loves. We can do no less than to welcome our prodigals as well.
In my upcoming book, Derek feels he has let down a friend. The lure of alcohol whispers his name, draws him away, tempts him to abandon his sobriety. And that failure bites deeply. When we disappoint people in our lives, it hurts—both us and them. It’s hard to return to that place of our shame. But God waits there, welcoming us with open arms. Not only waiting for our return, but also celebrating it. We are encouraged to leave our poor decisions behind us and start over. Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:15-16, NIV) Not to shame him. Not to demand an accounting. But to give him the chance to tell Jesus he didn’t mean what he said. To tell Jesus he loved him.
Three times Peter spoke denial.
Then Jesus replaced that failure by giving him three times to declare his love.
What a gift.
My favorite verse in the Bible is this:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39, NIV).
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Can we be brave enough to come back home? To claim that love? To accept that forgiveness?
God invites us to.
Be brave. Accept his invitation. Say yes.
More about Paula:
Paula believes God equips us for the work He brings us, and she is an author because she writes. She is learning more about herself and her walk with God every day. In March 2022, Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. published her debut novel, Protected. A Father’s Gift, followed in April 2023; Accepted, hit the stands summer of 2023; and Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, will be out in the summer of 2026.
