There was once a man who had two sons; and the younger said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the property.” So he divided his estate between them. A few days later the younger son . . . left home for a distant country, where he squandered it in reckless living. Luke 15:11-13, NEB.

Foolish choices lead to sorry consequences. Between the fair-weather friends and continual carousing, the prodigal son not only went broke, but probably became addicted to alcohol and sexual pleasure. But when his money ran out, his friends evaporated. He had sown his wild oats and discovered he had no crop at all.

A severe famine came, and he began to feel the pinch, so he took a job feeding pigs. In later Jewish custom, if a person even touched a pig, they became unclean and could be rejected, disowned by their family. This boy knew that taking this job could disqualify him for ever returning to his family and sonship, but he thought that was the only way to survive. Still, even working in that stinking pigpen, he wasn’t able to get enough food to fill his stomach. Finally he came to his senses and recognized that he was in a helpless and hopeless condition.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) describes this change as the first of the 12 steps of recovery: you admit you are powerless over addiction—that your life has become unmanageable.

In his pit of despair the miserable youth remembers the love and bounty of his father’s home. He knows that his father takes good care of his servants. Although he realizes he has no chance that he can return as a son, at least as a servant he would survive. This is the second step of the AA program: to believe that a Power greater than you can restore you to sanity.

So, faint with hunger, in rags, stinking from living with the pigs, the young man surrenders and sets out for the long journey home. He has decided to turn his will and life over to God’s care. As he plods along, he has time to reflect on his actions, honestly face his real self, and confess—the next steps of AA.

The route of the prodigal addict coming home is the same today as Jesus outlined so long ago.

Remember, it’s never too late to turn from addiction toward home!

Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.