Hello My Name Is
by Matthew West
Verse 1: Hello, my name is Regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is Defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
These are the voices,
these are the lies
And I have believed them,
for the very last time
Chorus: Hello, my name is Child of the One True King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed,
and I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is Child of the One True King
Verse 2: I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The One who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
Bridge: What love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called His children
I am a child of the One True King
What love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called His children
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Alcoholics Anonymous was a Christian program, when the goal was to introduce people to the One True God who could set them free and give them a new identity in Christ. Over the years, the goal changed to helping addicts control alcohol and the program lost sight of the One True Healer who makes all things new.
Yes, we need to repent of whatever sin has been allowed to control us. It is okay for someone new to the program to say, “Hello my name is ______ and I’m an alcoholic.” But once the person repents and turns to Jesus, it is not appropriate to continue to be owned by the addiction.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
A Christian will get drunk by choice, not because they are owned by the addiction. A Christian’s new owner, the Holy Spirit, will work in their life to convict of sin, bring repentance, and the power to make them new.
Instead of “Hello my name is ______ and I’m an alcoholic.” This implies that the person is still owned by the addiction but trying not to practice it.
Consider … “My name is ______ and I’m a Child of the One True King.” This proclaims the truth that I have been set free, and I am no longer owned by the addiction. I have a new identity and I am part of a new family. God will do His good work and replace the cravings with a new craving for truth, love and desire for relationship with the One True King.