I've been really torn lately about my position on alcohol. For the past few months, I have decided that it's ok to drink in moderation and as long as it does not become a habit but stays the exception. Make sense? My struggle has been that some Christians, my parents included, find that alcohol should be avoided at all costs. I haven't agreed with this at any point in my life, and it continues to be an uneasy topic in my parents household. Anyway, I have several Christian friends that agree and live by the same approach I do and others that choose not to drink at all, but they still do not condemn my choice of lifestyle.
Anyhow, like I stated above, I have been really torn lately on the issue. Not just for the reasons above but also because I am currently employed as a lunch hour bartender. So I have decided to dive into the topic and see what God has to say about it. As I am doing this personal explorative study, I have decided to stop drinking alcohol completely for the next 40 days. Maybe it will change my perspective on the issue, maybe not, but I'm giving God these next 40 days to show me what His thoughts are.
Here are some of the verses I found tonight. (If you have any others, please post them)
Proverbs 20:1 [[to me this verse communicates that we shouldn't allow drinking to take our focus off of God]]
Proverbs 23:29-35 [[says stay away from wine, it tempts you to drink but it just leaves you wanting more and causes you pain...it quite literally explains what some people refer to "beer goggles"...I found that really interesting that Solomon was so in tune with what being drunk felt like]]
Isaiah 5:11-12 [[says that people who stay up late to get drunk "have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of His hands"... that one definitely stings however I never doubted where the Bible stood on drunkenness. I am still looking for verses that just speak on drinking, like a drink...not eight]]
Habakkuk 2:15-16 [[this one REALLLLY HURT! I have to quote this one for you.]] "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed!" [[yeah, so I told you I'm a bartender but my goal isn't to get people naked in a restaurant, I just want them to tip me but does that make my work shameful. Is God ashamed of me? Will I be punished for my employment? I'm a lunch bartender so on most days, I'm not honestly getting anyone drunk....I know this verse is Old Testament and may not be relevant today, but man I'm soooooooo torn on this verse. Please give me your thoughts]]
Romans 13:13-14 [[this one talks about sexual immorality caused by drunkenness, but then has a neat ending]] "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." [[I think this one is inferring that alcohol is just a desire we have that comes from our sinful nature. It's not something we need in our lives and I feel like it says look to Christ instead of the bottle to satisfy our needs.]]
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." [[I have heard this phrase countless times but honestly I never knew it was actually in the Bible. On the topic of alcohol, this verse is straight up telling you to stay away from bars. Granted I work in a restaurant, but still...maybe I shouldn't even be in that environment. It's definitely not increasing my walk, thats for sure.]]
So... those are the first verses that I have found. If you know any others, or stumble on some, please post em. Thanks. And please pray for me to stay accountable to this 40 day sobriety ordeal.
:)
1 comments:
Steph!
I think you've got some awesome thoughts and honest investigations going on here! Glad to see that your heart's hard at work discovering the many truth's of God and this amazing life that he's given to all of us.
I can tell you that from my own experiences, drinking is a tough topic, that most church associated people completely ignore. In high school I completely HATED any aspect of drinking, but someone down the line in college I had some tough girl problems, and decided that I was going to start drinking. I was in no way depressed or anything, but more in it for the fun factor. I had no addiction to alcohol, but merely saw it as a fun thing to do with my friends. Needless to say, that changed about two and a half years ago. I completely came to my senses, and realized that getting "drunk" wasn't cool with God! I find it such a hard thing to confront friends and people that I know who are involved so much at church and who are "Christians", about their drinking habits. It's a tough cookie!
As far as your job, there's so many ways that you can look at it, but remember this... everyone makes their own decisions in life. if someone wants to come to a bar and get wasted, they are going to. Doesn't matter who is there or who isn't there. I'm not, by any means, promoting that you work at a bar, just trying to remind you that you aren't a horrible person for working at a bar.
see ya!
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