Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise
(Proverbs 20:1)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(Ephesians 5:18-21)
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13 comments:
Tis powerful.
It is powerful, and it would be effective if those who actually do these things actually believed that it really could happen to them instead of those things happening to everybody else.
I remember all too well. I was married to one. The damage goes far and reaches deep, whether someone actually dies or not.
Last Friday, we had a funeral for an 18 year old who had just graduated from high school in May. He was out partying at 3 AM with 2 seventeen year old friends and was driving too fast on a winding gravel road and rolled the car. The only passenger with a cell phone refused to call 911 because she didn't want to get in trouble, fled the scene, and wasn't found until 4 hours later. The other teen didn't want to leave his friend to go get help and instead tried to get him out of the car. They were discovered about 1 1/2 hours later by the newspaper carrier. By then it was too late for the driver.
The mother of the young man refused any makeup on the body and the visitation and funeral were both open casket. Not a pretty sight. Hundreds of young (and older) people saw first hand the tragic results of drinking and driving.
Drinking is just plain stupid and it just makes some folks even more stupid. I know because I once was one of them. I marvel at the mercy of God that I didn't kill anyone. I can truly say "But for the grace of God, there go I."
Sobering, indeed.
About 10 years ago when my kids were 8 and 10, I was working 12-hour night shifts in a small town ER and I would sometimes have to bring them to work with me and give them a hospital room to sleep in. At this particular hospital the EMS came in through the waiting room. One night the radio went off and the paramedics called in with a "10-50i, went through the bridge, patient is driver with ETOH on board" - which means, auto accident with injuries, drunk driver went through the concrete bridge barrier. I went straight to the hospital room where my kids were watching TV and told them to come to the ER waiting room (a public area) and to sit quietly, say nothing, just observe because I wanted them to see firsthand what happens when people drink and drive (they were very small when their dad and I divorced over his DUIs so they didn't remember that drama).
The man's injuries were nothing compared to the family drama, especially since they had believed that the driver was still on the wagon. The kids haven't forgotten it to this day. My daughter still brings it up sometimes.
Oh, yeah. This too, I hope you don't mind if I share, please feel free to delete if need be -
Prior to my conversion I was a prolific pundit of a blogger and due to my long ER nursing career, I was heavily involved in the ER/EMS blogging scene and back in '07 I took part in a collaborative story series called "Perspectives" in which a small town cop from Texas, a small town paramedic from Louisiana, and a small town ER nurse from Georgia told a fictional-but-not-really-fictional story from beginning (with the cop) to end (in the ER). Each story was a composite of characters and situations from our actual professional experiences and unique perspective (thus the title). Our first piece - about a terrible drunken-driving accident on a remote country road - made the rounds and hit big enough that a public-access TV station in North TX asked for permission to make a PSA movie out of it and a first responder instructor out of Illinois asked to include it as required reading in his course syllabus. I would link it, but it was prior to my conversion and it has some very gritty, realistic language in it that flowed very freely from these patients and from us at that time and I wouldn't recommend that part of it. But it was grueling, and through the writing of that I was finally able to shed the tears from years ago for an 11 year old boy whose face I can still see and the father whose anguish I can still feel - that wouldn't come until then. These sins - they reach so far and affect so many different people that you would never imagine.
Alchohol, there is just no need for it, ever. Christians should know better.
You say "need" James, and you're correct, as no one ever "needs" to eat chocolate. I don't at all take the position that the Scriptures require abstinence from alcohol, but they do require abstinence from drunkenness. What you said is about the first think I teach my kids on the subject: you don't ever need to drink an alcoholic beverage.
This video could also be an effective always-wear-a-seat belt warning.
"I don't at all take the position that the Scriptures require abstinence from alcohol, but they do require abstinence from drunkenness."
Right on.
I used to abstain. Then came of age and better understood the "greyness" and became a partaker, along with my husband. Unfortunately, the partaking became a problem to the point that it nearly destroyed our marriage. I thank God that he did a transforming work in my husband's life--and our marriage, and we are no longer partakers. Every so often we'll see an ad or watch a food show or in some other way be reminded of how much we enjoyed the drink, and no sooner do we see it we are reminded of how much better our lives are now, and agree we'd never go back.
But we are very much looking forward to that day when we sit at the great Feast and partake with joy in our incorruptible bodies!
I think Rom 14 is particularly helpful on the issue of abstinence.
The bottom line is that we are all weak and have some areas in life where in all probability abstinence would be wise. We are free to not abstain, but wisdom might dictate otherwise.
If we have sufficient strength then what some folks need to abstain from can equally be a source of rejoicing and thankfulness for others. When we do not abstain we are to eat and drink (or watch, or dance, or whatever else) for the glory of God and with a heart full of thankfulness, never causing the weaker brethren to stumble. That may be their weakness, but we all have our own.
I have never been much of a drinker. Never been drunk ever, but my wife and I enjoy a glass or two of wine now and again. I try to always give thanks to God for it - there are so many whose weakness in this area prevents them from sharing in such joy.
But I have struggled with gluttony and the ensuing obesity all my life. I have not eaten any chocolate bars for almost 2 years - one always led to many, many more. I am learning to control my weakness by overcoming the desires of the flesh in Christ and I hope and pray that one day I will be able to partake again. If I do, I can assure you of one thing: I will no longer wolf that chocolate down as before, barely chewing. I will take my time and savour the flavour, giving thanks to God for the glorious taste.
My take on it all, FWIW.
Dan, that is exactly why I said "need." I choose to never have any because I do not ever want my judgment impaired by it.
I wonder what percentage of dumb crook stories involve alchohol. I would be willing to bet high 80s.
The Darwin Award phrase isn't "Hold muh beer and watch this!" for nothing.
Wow.
Silly as it sounds, I've been storing this in my Google Reader because I didn't want to take the 49 seconds to watch it, which I finally did.
Know what's really powerful?
The video followed by those selected Scriptures.
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