Let’s Get Drunk

Welcome back to “Sins of the World!” I’ve been taking a deeper dive into the words of Galatians 5:19-21 to talk about what we need to avoid and how these acts can lead us towards the Fruits of the Spirit. In Part 13, we looked at envy, which is a resentful longing that another person should possess a good which ones desires for oneself. It was viewed as a gateway sin, with the potential to lead to a lot more sinful behaviors. We landed in James 4:5, where we learned about the envy of God, show how jealous God can be when we keep our focus on things other than God. Envy pushes us towards conflict and division, where we can learn to find contentment in the middle of our jealousy. We learned that envy was destroy our society, and the best way we can fix it is to realign our hearts to love God and love our neighbor.

Part 14, looks at being drunk. A common thing that people do at parties and to forget our problems, but is being drunk a problem? What can the Bible show us about being drunk?

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What have your experiences been with being drunk? How have they shaped your experiences on life?

Understanding Drunkenness

The word that Paul uses to describe drunkenness is methé (meth’-ay). It describes a state of intoxication brought on by alcoholic excess. Willful over-indulgence is shown as an earthly desire that affects our relationships with God and others. Scripture shows us that drunkenness is not a weakness, but it’s a deliberate submission of reason and will to a foreign substance. Scripture encourages us to stay sober so that we can be prepared for Christ’s second-coming. Scripture also shows that drunkenness destroys our love for our neighbor because it creates stress, removes self-restraint, and disrupts community. Habitual drunkenness shows that we are more focused on appeasing our flesh rather than staying aligned with the Spirit.

For us to help remove drunkenness from our lives, we need to create different Spirit-filled alternative activities. For Christians, this can be worship nights, community accountability groups, and focusing on gratitude lifestyle choices. Churches should also be willing to address the concerns of substance abuse with the goal of being informative and focused on transformation and restoration. Scripture encourages moderate consumption, but truly encourages to avoid it because of the distorted mind that we can get while drinking.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Drunkenness is about our intentional choice to over-consume. What are situations where you’ve seen people get drunk before? How did that make you feel?

Understanding the Effects of Drunkenness

Before I get to the Scripture, I think it’s important to talk about how alcohol can impact us. Biblically, we learned that the willful over-consumption will lower our inhibitions, and can let our guard down when it comes to our relationships and communities. The information I will use come from mentalhealth.com (links at the end of this section).

Alcohol directly impacts the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that regulates our emotions, decision-making, and impulse control. Consuming alcohol reduces the activity in this area, which in turn lowers our inhibitions and increases the chance of aggressive or erratic behavior. Now there are signs that shows a more aggressive attitude is becoming prominent, and it’s important that we recognize these behaviors. The key signs to look for is as follows:

• Changes in speech – pay attention for slurred words, increased volumes, and a more aggressive tone.
• Demeanor changes – look for changes in body language like increased gesturing, pacing, and invading someone’s personal space.
• Physical cues – things like flushed skin, bloodshot eyes, changes in breathin patterns, or restlessness.

The effects of excessive drinking can place intense strain on relationships, leading to an increase in domestic conflicts, trust issues, frequent arguments, and emotional distance.

How do you deal with an angry drunk? Here are seven things you can do:

• Stay calm and avoid confrontation – maintain a composed demeanor and avoid arguments.
• Ensure personal safety – if you feel threatened, remove yourself from the situation and seek help if needed.
• Recognize alcoholism as a medical condition – addiction is not a choice, but a medical condition that requires professional help
• Encourage professional support – therapy, support groups, and addiction programs can help address the issues contributing to this behavior.
• Set boundaries – establish to protect your own emotional and physical health.
• Prioritize Your Own Well-Being – seeking support from family, friends, or counseling to help you cope with these relationships.
• Understand That Recovery takes time – being patience and persistent

Source: Alcohol’s Effects on Behavioral Health

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What does this information help you understand about excessive alcohol usage?

Be Aware

So, now that we have an understanding of drunkenness and how it impacts our lives. Let’s see what Scripture says. We’re landing in Luke 21:34:

AMP – “But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

NRSVUE – “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does nto catch you unexpectedly.

VOICE – So be careful. Guard your hearts. They can be made heavy with moral laxity, with drunkenness, with the hassles of daily life. Then the day I’ve been telling you about might catch you unaware and trap you.

Jesus is teaching His disciples to be alert and aware for the coming judgment on Jesus that will lead of His death and resurrection. Readiness requires us to be attentive to our own walk with God. The heart guides our thoughts, desires, and will. We need to make sure that the earthly desires and pressures do not replace our relationship and devotion to God. Self-indulgence weakens our restraints and pushes temporary pressures instead of being attentive to God’s kingdom. Intoxication clouds our judgment and opposes our sobriety. The ordinary concerns of life rules our hearts when anxiety takes over. We must trust that God will care for us no matter what.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can we stay attentive to God’s will at all times?

Exercising Self-Control

Practicing self-discipline in all parts of our lives ensures that we are present in the current moments of life. Notice that the Bible does not mention that we should not drink. It’s that we should be mindful when we do so that we can avoid becoming drunk. The goal is to be present at all times, sticking true to the goal of the Scripture that we are present for when the second-coming of Christ happens. None of us knows when this will happen, so the goal is to be alert and aware at all times when it does happen.

However, when we look at the goals of life, it’s not black-and-white. There will always be gray areas of life. If you want to live a life of sobriety, go for it. If you want to have a drink every now and then, go for it. This can be one of those teachings that scale on a per-person usage. However, the Bible teaches us the same universal lesson: don’t over-consume your alcohol to a place of drunkenness. Allow yourself the ability to stay aware of your surroundings, recognize when you are starting to get to your tipping point, and walk away when you need to sober up. The more you train yourself to be self-controlled, the more you can preserve the relationships you have.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What accountability measures can you use to avoid becoming drunk?

God’s Wisdom Prevails

Let’s roll back to an old Proverb that speaks on this as well, Proverbs 20:1 says:

AMP – Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler; And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

NRSVUE – Wine is mocker, strong drink is brawler; and who is led astray by it is not wise.

VOICE – Too much wine begins to mock you, too much strong drink leads to noisy fights, and whoever is misled by either is not wise.

Wine was common, but Scripture warns that its misuse will bring about shame rather than joy. Drunkenness weakens our judgment, loosens our restraint, and exposes a person to conduct that dishonors God and harms others. Things that can give us pleasure can also make a mockery of us, drawing us away from the ideal that God created us to live. Strong drinks can stir anger, recklessness, and conflict. These celebrations can become places of chaos when people abandon their self-control. Christians are called to be peaceful, self-controlled, and encouragers.

Wisdom doesn’t just recognize the danger’s of alcoholism, but it refuses to be mastered by any substance that distorts our minds and hearts. A person led by alcohol surrenders discernment and steps away from God’s path. God gives us wisdom for holy living, but drunkenness leads us toward regret, broken relationships, and spiritual compromise.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: God’s wisdom can help us overcome our desire to get drunk. How can God’s wisdom help you in social gatherings?

A Healthy Way to Drink

With all this being said, I want to leave you with some advice how how we can approach drinking. Approach drinking with discernment. Understand the situations you could be drinking in and recognizes the pros and cons of doing so. When you do this, ensure that you take into consideration those around you. We learned that drinking can put a strain on relationships, so while it may be stress-relieving for you, it can be infuriating and fearful for someone else. Drink in moderation. Don’t drink to get drunk, but drink to relax and socialize. Recognize your limits, set boundaries, and get accountability to ensure that you will not be wasted at the end of a party. Above all, do it in love. It may not be a moment that you want when it comes to drinking, but respect others decisions as well. Don’t peer pressure and bully someone into drinking, but recognize that everyone has their own viewpoint and perspective on what is best for them. Honor, love, and respect each other when it comes to those moments. (Sourced from: Is It Okay To Drink As A Christian? The Ultimate Guide )

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What boundaries can you put on yourself to prevent being drunk?