No, I'm Not! | Kendra Dublin

I have a question for you all. By a show of virtual hands, how many of you have heard the phrase, "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic?" By a show of virtual hands, how many of you believe that statement? Well, through my virtual fingers, I will tell you what I believe.

God is the creator of this world. There is nothing that He can't do. There is no one that can't be saved and changed through his words and their faith. When we obey the gospel, get baptized, and have the holy spirit within us, we are new. New creatures with the same purpose from birth. Altered, new, elevated, different. Living in God's grace and leaving a life of sin that once encompassed.

Some of us stray away after we have become Christians, but any time we want to align ourselves back in His will, God is there with the tools we need to reach our potential in Him. So, how can one say based off what the bible says, that you can label someone because of their past when their lives have been straightened. I will not agree with anyone that wants to detain what God has let free. Whatever your sin, when you allow God to be Lord, He relabels you. Heir of God, co-heir with Jesus. That's my identity, and nobody knows the full deliverance and the epiphanies that have enlightened my soul. One miracle comes to mind when I think on this subject.

A few years back, my parents and I went to the movies in downtown Raleigh. We had gotten there early to make sure we secured our tickets. Consequently, we started to walk around and to check out what was going on about half a mile from the theater. We came upon a small group of 50 people or so that were walking around vendor tables, for what event I don't know, but most of them were drinking. As we got closer, I started to smell the alcohol and was immediately disgusted. It was weird because I've always heard it's hard to stay away or ever overcome the love of alcohol. Whether it be the feeling it gives or the taste. I was thinking, wow this is different, but ba da ba ba bah, I'm loving it.

In that moment, I kept going and didn't think much after that, since we had to start heading back to the movies. Once we got back home it hit me. Hallelujah, hallelujah! God had delivered me once again. There's levels to this vindication. Not only had God helped me stop drinking alcohol a year prior, but He answered my prayers to take the desire away. I asked God to remove my love for the taste of alcohol, how it made me feel, and the dependency I had for it. I didn't want that attachment anymore in my life and God did it.

I cried and thanked Him for His goodness. I thanked Him for not allowing me to fall into the trap of this world of just perseverance, but deliverance. I had the faith that God can do exactly what He did 2,000 years ago, because His love endures forever. His grace endures forever. His advocacy endures forever. His life endures forever. Therefore, my life endures forever. And I’ve never heard Jesus say, once an alcohol, always and alcoholic. Isn't it amazing to know that no man has a say over your life?

What has God done for you? What is He doing right now to level up your life to the Heavens? I don’t know what you have gone through or what you will go through but stand tall and tell yourself God reigns. If He has delivered you, continue to walk in the light. Don’t downplay what God has done and always have faith that God can move mountains for you, so you can move closer to Him. He can get rid of anything you ask of Him that is of His will.

So, as you go about living for God, don't you ever let anyone tell you who you are, but God. Don't you dare let anyone classify you based off worldly standards. Don't you dare allow someone to challenge the work of God's hand. And don't you dare label someone else because we are all in this fist less fight together. We are Christians! Thank you, God, for your work in our lives, and as always keep going today because TOMORROW IS TOO LATE TO BE GREAT.