Bill Arnold met Ron Sharp almost 20 years ago when they were doing prison ministry together. Ron grew up in the inner city of Des Moines and became a drug addict and criminal at the age of 13. After spending many years in and out of various institutions, Ron became a Jesus follower in 1997 and since then has become a prison chaplain in Iowa, led Prison Fellowship’s ministry in Kansas, and has now led Prison Fellowship’s ministry in 10 states. Presently, Ron is the Midwest director for Impact Ministries.
Ron’s story is that of how he was born into an environment where poverty, drugs and crime was the norm, but that even in what seems like the most desperate of situations, there is redemption and hope; a life free from drugs with the help of Jesus Christ.
How is it possible to achieve that freedom?
Through the strength of God.
George Fraser shares that, in his own experience, even when he knew he needed to get sober, he was never able to until God granted him the desire to get sober.
“I knew I needed to get sober, [but] I didn’t want to get sober. Then one day I did, and that only can come from God. I mean that was the first miracle of my recovery was that I actually did want to get sober…”
George also notes that although the want had a profound effect on his life, it was still a long battle of seven years before he was able to achieve full sobriety. But the effort was worth it.
“Don’t ever, ever, ever give up because God never gives up on you.”
The wanting that George experienced is available for all of us, as a gift of grace from God.
Ron explains that without that desire we can’t have recovery because of our sinful nature.
“The Bible says that we are all depraved and we were all born in, and in bondage to, sin and without a change, which the Bible calls regeneration, without God regenerating a man, bringing him from death to life, he won’t want to recover.”
We all have an attraction and love for doing sinful things, and Ron is clear that he’s no exception, either.
“I loved drugs, and I loved the excitement of criminal activity. I loved taking from others what didn’t belong to me; I loved those things, and that’s what sinners do: they love sin until God regenerates them and brings them from death to life.“
But once God gives us the desire to break free from our sinful ways, He also give us the strength we need to do so. It may not be an immediate freedom from addiction, but it does become possible.
