Book Review: “Recovered: How an Accident, Alcohol, and Addiction Led Me to God” by Robby Gallaty

Shortly after changing churches over a decade ago, we heard about a new pastor who had come to our previous church, a new pastor by the name of Robby Gallaty. And though I never heard him preach, as we were no longer attending that church, friends we had from there all spoke about how wonderful he was, how powerful his testimony was, and how thankful they were to have him as their pastor. All I knew about his story at the time was that he had once been a drug addict.

Naturally, then, when the opportunity arose to read and review his autobiographical new book, Recovered: How an Accident, Alcohol, and Addiction Led Me to God, I jumped at it! And I was not at all disappointed.

Robby’s story begins with him being a compulsive kid dealing with ADHD. Combine that with a self-professed struggle to understand who he was and what his identity actually consisted of, and you have someone who went from persona to persona, group to group, trying to fit in and find fulfillment.

He begins to get into some wrong crowds, starts smoking, and soon finds himself drinking often, going to bars, and before long, even working at one.

Everything goes from bad to far, far worse when he is involved in a traffic accident which leads to an extensive back injury and a disc issue requiring  surgery.

It is during the recovery process following his surgery that he is introduced to a doctor who willy-nilly prescribes him an entire coctail of four different pain meds, each of which is incredibly strong, but when combined together, is downright dangerous.

Before he knows it, he is a full-blown drug addict, not only taking the narcotics himself, but selling them on the streets, as well. His drug addiction and drug-dealing soon take over his life, leading to him wasting away a multiple-thousand dollar insurance settlement he had received as a result of his injuries from the accident. 

Things continue to spiral downhill until, finally, his family finds out about his problem and he enters a rehab program for the first time.

Things improve for a time, but it isn’t long before that pull of the drugs is stronger than his ability to withstand their temptation. Soon he finds himself in a full-blown addiction all over again.

Throughout this time (and throughout the book!) the issue of identity and struggling with your identity is a part of Robby’s story, and teaching and I appreciated that so much. We all need to understand who we are, who we have been made by God to be, and who we are in Christ if we are one of His children. Because, until we do that, the pull of this world’s temptations will be stronger than we can handle on our own.

The rest of Robby’s story unfolds in just as powerful – if not more so! – a way than the first half. I won’t give anything away (you’ll just have to go read the book! 😉 ), but the Lord seeks Robby out in a powerful, life-changing way, and not only saves his soul, but calls him to preach, as well.

Robby learns, however, a lesson that I write and speak about all the time – the crucial importance of walking by the Spirit. Because it is after being saved, while in the midst of a preaching ministry, that Robby falls back into his old ways and his old addictions for a final time. 

He learns that he must flee temptation, that he cannot withstand it on his own, and that he must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to get him through. And the Holy Spirit has done just that – gotten him through nearly two decades with no other relapses in his addiction journey. 

Whether you are currently battling an addiction yourself, know someone who is, or are just fascinated by stories of God’s amazing grace and work in people’s lives, Robby Gallaty’s book, “Recovered: How an Accident, Alcohol, and Addiction Led Me to God”, is a book for you!

Not only does Robby share his own personal story, but he also walks the reader through the truth of the gospel, the plan of salvation, what families can and should do for their loved ones battling addiction, and an extended appendix in the back containing thoughts, notes, and resources for recovering addicts. It is truly a wonderful resource that is sure to be a blessing to everyone who reads it!

*I received a complimentary copy of “Recovered” in exchange for my honest review!