Kathryn Burgum on Recovering from Addiction: ‘If not for the grace of God, I would not be alive today.’
Kathryn Burgum, the White House’s new Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery, credits God for her sobriety.
“If not for the grace of God, I would not be alive today, over 23 years in recovery [from alcohol addiction],” Burgum, the wife of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, shared at President Trump’s press conference announcing the Great American Recovery Initiative.
“My message is simple: Never give up hope for recovery.”
The president established the Great American Recovery Initiative with an executive order on January 29. The interdisciplinary group of officials will ensure federal efforts to combat drug and alcohol addiction effectively serve three goals:
- Preventing addiction
- Prioritizing treatment
- Celebrating recovery
The Trump administration tapped Burgum to lead the initiative alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is also in long-term recovery from substance addiction.
In her Oval Office address, Burgum emphasized the importance of honesty, vulnerability and empathy in encouraging others to seek treatment for addiction. But human intervention alone did not change her life.
Burgum’s disordered relationship with alcohol began in high school. After 20 years of attempting and failing to remain sober, she “reached a point where [she] truly did not believe there was one reason for [her] to keep living.”
She recalled the day she cried out to God:
Burgum’s interaction with God parallels the story of Hagar — Abram’s concubine and the mother of Ishmael.
Hagar departed from Abram’s (later Abraham) camp twice in Genesis. Both times, she found herself distressed, homeless and vulnerable in the harsh wilderness. Both times, God saw her, addressed her by name and guided her to safety.
For this reason, in Genesis 16:13 (ESV), Hagar calls God “a God of seeing.”
“Truly here I have seen Him who looks after me,” she says.
Like Hagar, God saw and rescued Burgum in her most hopeless moment.
No one escapes God’s watchful eye, but those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior receive the Holy Spirit. Believers will experience earthy suffering (John 16:33), but the Holy Spirit — God’s indwelling presence — ensures we are never separated from His presence, power and comfort.
Though God offered Burgum miraculous help in her time of need, her story also illustrates the slow, healing work God accomplishes over time. He didn’t just enable Burgum to stay sober — He laid the groundwork for her long-term recovery. He connected her with co-workers who showed her unexpected empathy when she sought treatment. Later, He put her in a position to join a supportive community of other people in recovery.
Burgum says both help her maintain her sobriety.
Burgum’s emphasis on vulnerability as a prerequisite to recovery is consistent with the Bible’s teaching on sin.
Sin thrives in darkness and isolation. When Adam and Eve committed the first sin against God, they hid from His presence. God, the antithesis of sin, exposes evil by shining light on it
Luke 8:17 promises, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ means believers need not fear judgement when their sin comes to light. Instead, they can seek forgiveness. James 5:15-16 encourages believers to confess sins to one another that they might be healed.
The Daily Citizen thanks Special Advisor Kathryn Burgum for sharing such a poignant example of the healing God can accomplish in and through our lives.
Additional Articles and Resources
Help With Substance Abuse and Addiction
Talking With Your Teens About Drugs and Alcohol
President Trump Unveils Plan to Combat Drug and Alcohol Addiction
JD Vance Celebrates Mother’s 10-Year Sobriety at White House: ‘You Made It’
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