Because Jesus never turned water into beer.
When I got into a car accident while drinking & driving, I said I’d never drink hard liquor again. From that point on, I vowed to only drink wine. (Wait...no. Not only wine. I still had water and juice and stuff like that. Just no liquor.)
One year later I began living for Jesus Christ. Every. Thing. Changed. (Wait...no. Not...everything.)
Wine was still very much a thing in my life. On Friday nights, I would race home from work (as quick as one can “race” home on DC metro, that is) to get in bed with a glass of wine. I used the wine as a way of escape. It relieved my mind of the stress that came with a full-week of class, work, and adulting.
One day, while studying God’s word, the Holy Spirit revealed that He wanted to be the One to give me rest from my busy schedule. There was a void He wanted to fill. Only problem? I was already (temporarily) filling that void with wine.
I hadn’t realized before, but I was using wine to satisfy myself in a way that God desired to satisfy me. So, I wasn’t truly satisfied in Him...alone.
Because I am righteous, I will see you.When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. (Psalm 17:15)
2. It actually was...getting me drunk.
Back in the day, I used a class system to determine my level of intoxication.
Good.
Tipsy.
Gettin’ there.
Drunk.
Wasted.
There. (Where am I?)
Surely, wine was just getting me…”Good.” Okay, tipsy. At best. As long as I’m not getting drunk, I’m good. Right?
I noticed, however, as I was drinking, my mood was changing. The way I made decisions – that changed too. It became difficult to make a truly sound decision. Wine was impairing my mental abilities, which turns out, is the exact definition of “drunk.”
I noticed, however, as I was drinking, my mood was changing. The way I made decisions – that changed too. It became difficult to make a truly sound decision. Wine was impairing my mental abilities, which turns out, is the exact definition of “drunk.”
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)
3. It was causing others to stumble.
My friends, who never even had the desire to drink wine, wanted wine all of sudden. Wait. But why.
Me to them:
My best friend felt like I was pressuring her to drink.
Her to me:
Long story short, it got in the way.
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.
(Romans 14:21)
(Romans 14:21)
4. It paired nicely with...other bad habits.
When I cuddled up with a glass of wine, I wasn’t reading my bible. Nope. I was watching TV shows. Shows I wouldn’t have felt comfortable watching if I wasn’t…”Good.” (Disclaimer: Shows that I may or may not have used as animations to prove my point in this blog post. Ugh. Sue me.)
When I stopped drinking the wine. I stopped watching the shows. Looking back, I can't believe I even liked those shows. So weird. It's like I was...drunk...or something.
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