Out of Addiction to Freedom: The Road to Recovery
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As a child, disability advocate Jennifer Evans dreamed of traveling around the world to help people in need.
By age thirty-three she had been on mission trips to forty-five countries on six continents.
Her life looked purposeful and productive. But as a high-functioning addict, Jennifer was in turmoil. In her darkest hour she called out to God. Now more than three years sober, Jennifer joins the podcast to share her story of overcoming addiction through the power of Christ.
Have you ever “hit a wall”?
Jennifer lived for many years as an addict. On the road two hundred days a year doing secular missions work, Jennifer ran low on sleep and high on anxiety. She managed her mental state by using drugs (pills and marijuana) and alcohol.
“I was always changing my consciousness,” Jennifer says.
For years Jennifer didn’t view her substance abuse as a problem. The drugging and drinking “worked,” in the sense that it allowed her to function. But addiction took its toll, physically and spiritually. Then in 2016 Jennifer hit her wall. Following a long overseas trip she found herself depressed and anxious. She recalls:
“I didn’t really think I had a problem. I actually just thought, ‘I’m tired, I’m overworked. I just need to change. I’m done with this.’ So I quit my job.”
Desperate to feel better, Jennifer tried to moderate her alcohol and drug use. But her attempts never stuck. One night she went out with friends; instead of sticking to her two-drink limit, she drank heavily, used cocaine, and woke up in an alley.
The next morning, Jennifer took her grandma to church—high on marijuana to cope with her hangover. When she walked through the church doors an usher handed her a program that read, “Addiction must fall.” While she didn’t feel close to God at the time, Jennifer knew he was talking to her.
Addiction Must Fall
“I wish I could say I was immediately delivered, but that’s not what happened to me.”
Jennifer
Jennifer knew she needed help to change her story and overcome her addiction. In a traditional twelve-step Alcohol Anonymous (AA) program, Jennifer met other recovering women, many of whom who trusted in Christ. They seemed happy and successful where Jennifer—while sober—still felt anxious and depressed.
Having grown up Catholic, Jennifer knew about God but had never really heard the Gospel.
The women she’d met in AA encouraged her to open her heart to Christ. She came to Jesus with humility, repentant and desperate for help to escape the cycle of bondage that came with her addiction.
Humbling herself before God played a big part in Jennifer’s healing.
“I had to humble myself and say, ‘I need you. I’m a sinner,’” she says.
Receiving forgiveness and grace, she found a new identity: not “addict” but “Child of God.”
“Then he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.’”
Matthew 18:3–4 (NLT)
Coping with Mental Health Struggles
Even sober, Jennifer—like tens-of-millions of American adults—deals with mental health struggles on an ongoing basis. According to the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH),
“Mental illnesses are common in the United States. Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (52.9 million in 2020).”
“[Mental health] is something I have to work on daily. After overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, I would wake up with extreme anxiety and depression,” says Jennifer.
With support, she has learned to cope in healthy ways; her daily routine now includes:
- Bible reading, recitation, and quiet time with God
- A healthy, balanced lifestyle (adequate sleep, exercise, and food)
- Antidepressant medication (managed by a doctor)
The Role of Community in Recovery
God uses community to help people heal. In her own healing Jennifer’s sponsor accompanied her through a process of inventory and repentance, leaning on key Scriptures like Ephesians 6:11–13:
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Now, working as Executive Director at Grace Sober Living Center, Jennifer helps others put on the full armor of God.
She says, “I am now walking alongside people and helping to develop a transformational recovery care program that really helps people.”
Jennifer loves to share her disciplines for sober, healthy living: practices that help her and others to put on the armor of God—from morning devotionals to daily habits that promote physical and spiritual wellbeing. A community of believers helps Jennifer to stay sober one day at a time, and help others do the same.
“I used to make hasty decisions, with relationships, quitting jobs, or moving. Now I don’t make any big decisions without going to my mentors and telling them what’s going on and seeking godly wisdom.” says Jennifer.
How can the church help people who struggle with addiction?
Jennifer urges churches to have more honest conversations about addiction. People with addictions—like people with disabilities, caregivers, and people with mental health issues—can feel unseen and overlooked in the church. How can a church start?
- Address the topic of addiction in sermons and other teaching.
- Tell people the church is available to help.
- Provide counseling services (or referrals to Christian counselors).
- Direct people to Christ-centered recovery programs (like AA or Celebrate Recovery).
- Offer a message of hope (rather than shame) to people dealing with addiction.
Jennifer offers a closing encouragement to anyone seeking sobriety and freedom from addiction:
“It takes time to get sober. And it is difficult. But for anyone struggling, the peace and joy that I have now is that beyond understanding because of the promises of the Bible. I want to encourage people that there is so much joy on the other side.
Also, I just love serving alongside people with disabilities. I have relationships with people of all different abilities now. It’s showed me that we all have something we’re dealing with—whether it be a physical disability, a mental health issue, or an addiction. And we can all encourage one another.”
Jennifer
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