Max Lucado is releasing a new book, God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob’s Story Teaches Us About Grace, Mercy, and God’s Relentless Love, where he opened up about his struggles with alcohol at the height of his success. In an excerpt from the book posted by “Fox News,” Lucado revealed that twenty years ago, he was living a double life. By all outward appearances, with a thriving ministry, a confident congregation, and best-selling books, Lucado was at the top of his game. “All cylinders were firing. I turned sermons into books. My publisher turned books into arena events. I wrote kids’ stories and recorded kids’ videos. It was wild!” he wrote. Yet, there was another side to all the success. “What no one knew was this: I was a mess.” A series of infighting within his church had left “America’s Pastor” with a struggling staff, resignations, and pending publishing dates. He began to feel the pressure. “So I did what came naturally,” he wrote. “I began to drink.”

What followed were a series of clandestine beer purchases at a location across town from Lucado’s church, where he was careful not to be seen as he drank privately in a parking lot. At first, Lucado says he tried to justify his actions. “I told God I had everything under control. The staff issues were manageable. The deadlines were manageable. The stress was manageable. The drinking was manageable.” However, one night, “came a moment of truth.” Comparing the moment of conviction to when Jacob wrestled with God, Lucado knew he was in trouble. He revealed his struggle to his elders, who prayed over him and helped to lighten his load. Then, he confessed to his congregation. After receiving help, Lucado stated he felt “forgiven” by God. “God met me [in the parking lot] that day. He gave me a new name as well… ‘forgiven.’ And I’m happy to wear it,” he wrote. 

This is not the first time Lucado has mentioned struggling with alcohol. In 2016, in his “Words of Wisdom,” he discussed how his father had been an alcoholic. “Our family tree is marked by a blight of alcoholism. My dad made it clear: alcohol abuse leads to trouble, and that trouble leads to misery. More than once, I promised that I would never get drunk.” Yet, at the age of 16, he did just that. A four-year cycle of drunkenness followed, with the young Lucado struggling with guilt for what he was doing. “The guilt made a mess of me, and I was headed toward a lifetime of misery. But then I heard a preacher do for me what I’m attempting to do for you: describe the divine grace that turns prodigals into preachers. When he asked if anyone would like to receive this grace, iron chains could not have held me back,” he wrote. Apparently, Lucado was faced with the same temptation again nearly three decades later. Thankfully, just as God met him at that altar all those years ago, He met him again, this time in a parking lot.