Thursday, June 19, 2008

alcohol

in the past few months leading up to my 21st birthday and even since, i've had a few thoughts about alcohol.
here they are:

-alcohol hasn't been a big part of my experience growing up. aside from watching gramma and grampa drink it occasionally with dinner, it wasn't really around much.

-even though i'm "legal" now, i do value honoring my commitments. during the school year, i'm "on contract" with george fox. one of the agreements i make is to abstain from alcohol. so, i'm not going to drink then.

-jesus drank wine. he even seemed to endorse it in appropriate settings, by performing his first miracle at a wedding, turning the water into some amazing tasting alcohol.

-alcohol has played a role in foolishness & sin, as shown in examples in the old testament. take noah, xerxes, and lot's daughters for example.

-wine is listed along with the bounty of food as an example of God's blessing on multiple occasions.

-when instructions are given for choosing godly leaders in 1 timothy, elders and deacons are not to be given to drunkenness. they're to be self-controlled and not indulge in much wine. this leads me to think that if paul had held true objections to alcohol in general he would have said so. and i think these standard should hold for all of us, since we should be striving to be more christ-like people, who can be used by God.

-these instructions limiting alcohol not only are there for protection in regards to our behavior, but also our health. in my studies of the human body, i've seen first hand the effects of excessive alcohol use on the body, especially the liver. yuck.

-alcohol like many things is appropriate in moderation. rest is important, but too much is laziness. food is necessary, but too much leads to gluttony. money is needed, but an increased focus on material possessions leads to greed (and is even referred to as the root of all sorts of evil.) i think with the examples given in the bible, it can be deduced that alcohol can be enjoyed along with food, or even as something to enhance a celebration.

-however, having said that, i do recognize that some do really struggle with self-control in the area of alcohol. paul addresses "accepting those whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters." (romans 14:1) i think this passage in romans sums up my thoughts about alcohol:
"therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. i am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. but if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. do not by your eating destroy your brother or sister for whom Christ died. therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.

for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval." -romans 14: 13-8

and having said all of that, my 21-year-old self has yet to try alcohol...despite what the pictures may imply. =)



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