Tag: alcohol

Posted on

Beer Brawlers.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” Proverbs‬ ‭20:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Honestly, I choose NIV because of their witty play on words. The Hebrew words are interesting. The word for wine isn’t unique it’s just yayin: wine. Ah, but shekar: intoxicating drink, strong drink is different and the word shakar is to be drunk. You can be “shakar” on wine or strong drink.

I believe Noah (Genesis 9:21) is the first guy to be written up for being drunk and the first thing he does is strip naked and lay around in his tent! After what Noah had been through, I can’t blame him for IMMEDIATELY planting a vineyard, patiently waiting for the grapes to ripen and quickly making booze so he could get drunk fast. I’m not saying it was right, but I get it.

History is filled with fermented fruits, then later barley. Then even later, the stronger, aged process of liquor came along. Wine and beer, apparently, have been around for a very long time. The Bible makes a clear distinction between “drinking” and “drunkenness.” One is permitted, the other is just wrong!

The wisdom writers catch a perspective that most drinkers and non-drinkers seem to miss. Anything to do with excessive alcohol or similarly controlled substances that impair judgment and directly leads to unintended consequences should be seen as dangerous and is not worth the momentary relief, levity or fun it proposes!

Proverbs personifies wine and beer as mockers and brawlers (hamah: to murmur, growl, roar, be boisterous) and tells us THEY can LEAD us astray. Like a pair of permanently invisible handcuffs, these excesses carry their victims away and pave a path of addiction, shame-cycles, broken relationships and possibly worse when driving a murder-weapon down the street.

The evidence is clear, one too many means YOU are not in control any longer. I’ve seen this hundreds of times in my family of origin. We had the wine, beer and whiskey drinkers. And although my wine-bibbing kin faired better, because of their restraint, my beer and hard liquor crew were constantly cursing, fighting, bleeding and bashing into other vehicles while driving. I knew one thing when my family gathered – if booze showed up, there was going to be a regrettable, never forgettable brawl! It was enough that slurred speech or boozy-breath can trigger a PTSD response in me.

The Apostle Paul gives the believer an alternative high. I know folks don’t want to look at it this way, but he says “don’t get drunk on booze, get high on the Spirit of God!” (Eph 5:18). Paul even proceeds those words with this, “don’t be foolish.” You want to drink away your sorrows or shoot up to disconnect with the harsh reality and stress – drink in, get “soaked” in the Spirit, shoot up or snort the presence of the living God by the power of the Holy Spirit! Get yourself before your Holy God and let His peace comfort and hold you. Don’t give in, don’t give up – get into God’s presence. Everything else is just a fake and dangerous substitute playing on your pain.

Prayer

Dad,
I’m sure that we often feel like Noah, overwhelmed with the circumstances or even consequences of our life. But we are so desperate for you and it shows up in such lousy ways. We feel trapped, surrounded and see no other way out, so we REACH for the drink, pill, puff or needle. Help us to reach for you! And when we do, please meet us, save us from ourselves and our selfishness. Amen.

Posted on

Proverbial warning labels

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.” Proverbs‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​Doors are an interesting way of illustrating wisdom’s point. My feeling on this, once we’ve opened a door, be it out of curiosity, peer pressure or even escape, I don’t believe we have the power to ever close it.

When I was a young-er (cough, cough) pastor I imagined standing in the middle of a round room full of doors. Each door had a label. Each one seemed have a invitation that just begged me to open it. Maybe it was a sexual door or a drug experience door an alcohol or gambling door. Maybe even an abusive relationship door.

These are doors that I’m sure my parents opened because I experienced a childhood where I watched them struggle with various addictions and emotional attachments that I knew were not healthy. But I also had my own set of doors. And, as I wrote, once opened I’ve not figured out how to ever close them.

What about deliverance from sin you ask, or freedom and redemption? Yes, absolutely. However, I don’t think the door ever fully closes – remember I’m the one who opened it. There are doors my family of origin may have opened “for” me, exposing me to things that should never be seen or experienced as a child.

Let’s take gambling for example. My family had a history of gambling. They would call it “social” gambling, even “gaming” and had “calculated” losses. I had my little experience with the “one-arm-bandit” (slot machine). It was fun and exciting, colorful and intriguing sounds, plunk, boing, ching ching ching. My nickel was gone and I didn’t win. It was fun, but I had no desire to do it again. As I got older I would feel the pull of those feelings of risk and reward, the sights and sounds of machines and people having fun sitting around a table with fast moving cards or dice. Knowing that door had even slightly been opened, I made a decision as a teenager. I would not be a gambler, not a social one or a gaming one or even a simple little lottery ticket player. Why? Because I saw the damage it caused in my family and I didn’t want that kind of life in my own future. IF I were to gamble now, I’m pretty sure I’d be hooked and sucked in.

BTW, same goes for drinking alcohol if you’d like to know the truth.

This door of immorality that the wisdom writers warned of – it is very real. It’s also ridiculously spun as fun and free in our sex-saturated-society.

WARNING: Don’t open this door wisdom says, don’t go near they cry OR – YOU WILL LOSE! Proverbs writes the consequences of those who opened it and can’t ever shut it. “Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”

These proverbial warning labels are no joke and the very real life consequences are devastating. See those doors around you? The ones that say, “just try me,” “just take a peek,” “what’s one time gonna hurt.” DO NOT OPEN THEM.

You’ve been warned.

PRAYER:

Dad,
You know the doors I’ve opened and you know the doors that, thankfully, I’ve stayed away from. I absolutely love your mercy, patience and forgiveness I’ve experienced from those doors I have opened or the ones my family opened and shoved me in for a peek. I really want to put a bunch of caution tape around the ones that have devastated my family as a kid. I want to warn others about experiencing or experimenting with these awful and alluring sins. Help us O’Lord. Help us men and women, fathers and mothers. We need your wisdom and grace.