The Loneliness of Addiction: How We Can Show Up With Love ft. Caroline Beidler & Jonathan Tepper
Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith
Jesus Calling
4.5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 21 May 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we’ll hear from Caroline Beidler, a speaker and recovery advocate who began using alcohol at just eleven years old to numb the pain of a deep sense of loneliness and not belonging. This led to years of addiction, but even after getting sober, Caroline found she was still wrestling with shame, unhealthy patterns, and wounds that hadn’t healed.
Jonathan Tepper is a founder, author, and strategic thinker whose journey began as the son of missionaries in regions of deep cultural and economic contrast. From his upbringing in Spain by missionaries who sought to help those addicted to heroin, all the way to Taiwan and the high-stakes world of global finance, he has found himself on a search for truth and fairness.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Ryan Scheckler.
Upcoming interview: Amy Grant
When You Love Someone in Recovery, A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction - Book by Caroline Beidler
Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction - Book by Jonathan Tepper
Mere Christianity - Book by C.S. Lewis
Interview Quotes:
“I had no name for who God was, but at the same time, I just remember knowing that He was there. I just feel like from even an early age, I was seeking that relationship, and I was seeking a connection with God.” - Caroline Beidler
“It wasn’t until I started walking in longer-term recovery that I saw how me showing up as a sober, healthy, growing person impacted people in my life, in my family, who struggled with substance use—just my presence showed people there’s another way to live.” - Caroline Beidler
“Recovery is a deep experience that we can go through, of not just physical healing and emotional healing, but spiritual healing and formation.” - Caroline Beidler
“When our loved ones have hope for us, have hope that we will heal and find addiction recovery, we are more likely to. That is a powerful statement, and that is a powerful way that I think God reveals [that] hope isn’t just some feeling.” - Caroline Beidler
“We know from the research and our own experience that the number one way to help people struggling with addiction is to connect them with people with a similar life experience.” - Caroline Beidler
“Those two pieces—hope and belonging, hope and connection—are so important when we’re talking about how people can heal from addiction, not just themselves as individuals, but as families.” - Caroline Beidler
Addiction kind of breeds and increases and gets stronger and more destructive in isolation. When we can shine some light on what’s going on, that’s where God can come in and that healing can happen.” - Caroline Beidler
“The best thing that families can do when their loved one is struggling is lead with love and lead with compassion.” - Caroline Beidler
“Addiction is a crisis of loneliness, and the way to address it isn’t just through treatment. It’s making sure our loved ones are connected in community.” - Caroline Beidler
“One thing I’ve taken away is that you can be a miserable, greedy person and poor or you can be a miserable, greedy person and rich.” - Jonathan Tepper
“You have to decide every day whether you want to be loving and compassionate. And it doesn’t really matter where you are to do that, as long as you’re doing your best with what you have.” - Jonathan Tepper
“I don’t think heroism is one single great act of courage. I think it’s showing up day to day and trying to show love and compassion to others.” - Jonathan Tepper
“My parents never planned on starting an international drug rehab center, they set out to show love and compassion to one addict at a time. And I think that taking one step at a time is a way that you can change the world, even if you don’t set out to do it.” - Jonathan Tepper
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C
Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj
Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u
What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj
Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Life is a song. |
| 0:01.6 | And what if your faith could help you hit the high notes? |
| 0:04.7 | Grammy nominated and dove award-winning artist Torin Wells invites you into the high notes. |
| 0:09.1 | It's the high note. |
| 0:09.7 | A podcast about real life, real struggles, and a real God who meets you right where you are. |
| 0:14.4 | With honesty, insight, and encouragement, Torin tackles the issues you're facing every day |
| 0:19.0 | and helps you rise above the noise. |
| 0:21.1 | If you're ready for a fresh perspective on your faith, tune in to the High Note podcast with Torn Wells. |
| 0:26.4 | Welcome to the High Note. |
| 0:27.4 | Available now wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.5 | Life Audio. |
| 0:35.3 | This episode contains content that may be triggering for some listeners. |
| 0:40.3 | Head over to the Jesus Calling YouTube channel for inspirational video content that will enhance your spiritual life. |
| 0:48.3 | Each week you'll find beautiful devotional videos for morning, evening, and sleep, as well as stories and readings from |
| 0:55.0 | celebrities, authors, pastors, and everyday people who share how God has worked in their lives. |
| 1:00.6 | You'll also find the Jesus Listen Stories of Prayer series hosted by Susie McIntyre Eaton, |
| 1:06.4 | Jesus Calling podcast episodes, and a scripture-based bonus series where experts walk us through specific |
| 1:12.3 | books of the Bible. Subscribe today for new videos each week. |
| 1:18.7 | I had about five years in recovery at that time, not using drugs or alcohol, but I was still |
| 1:24.7 | very sick. I was still trapped by a lot of the lies that I had |
| 1:29.6 | believed about myself for a very long time. And some of the choices I was making, even though I |
| 1:34.8 | wasn't using drugs and alcohol, I was still trying to escape. Welcome to the Jesus Calling podcast. |
... |
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