I don’t know when exactly my addiction began. I was first prescribed Vicodin for migraines. Over time, I became more dependent on Vicodin than I was on God, and this made me feel like a failure as a believer. It was like I was two different people: one who desired to live an authentic life for Christ and another who was trapped and living in bondage.
But then I heard Dr. Youssef’s message "Got Freedom?", and I finally understood that it didn’t matter what I had done. I wasn’t saved by what I did or didn’t do. What saved me was what God had done for me.
"I really believe that had I not heard Dr. Youssef’s message when I did, I probably would have overdosed."
I had grown up thinking that you could look at someone’s life and say, "Oh, they’re a Christian. They don’t do this; they don’t do that." But we’re not justified by what we do or don’t do. What I was lacking was not God’s love but my liberty in Christ. As Dr. Youssef explained, Christian liberty means being free from restraint—and I was confined by my addiction.
Through Dr. Youssef, God spoke very clearly to me: "You are still getting that prescription filled, and you need to give that up. Trust Me with this. Don’t worry about tomorrow; don’t worry about next week. Call the doctor right now."
It was at that moment of obedience, of complete surrender, that I felt so much peace. When I hung up the phone with the doctor, I knew that my supply of medication was now cut off. But I trusted God, and there was so much grace—and so much freedom.
The very next month, my family experienced the biggest storm of our lives. During that storm, I was alert, I was sober, and I was on my knees every day. Even though my heart was breaking into a million pieces, it was the most joyful time of my life. Today, I really believe that had I not heard Dr. Youssef’s message when I did, I probably would have overdosed. The timing of everything was crucial. That message was for me.
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