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The following comes from the devotional book “What Now?” by Ashley Akers. To learn more, go to www.whatnowdevo.com.
Alcohol
When I was a young teen I would earn a little extra money by babysitting a little boy, who was a toddler at the time. I would watch him on the weekends so his parents could go out on a date. I discovered that usually meant they went out to party and drink with their friends. I hadn’t been around alcohol and those who use it, so I didn’t understand the effects it could have on a person. But one cold winter night that all changed. The party-goers returned around 11:00 pm. To my horror, the dad of this little boy came raging through the door, running from one end of the house to the other, snarling and growling and obviously out of control. He was drooling and claiming to see the devil.
Romans 13:13-14 (NLT) says, “Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness… Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about the ways to indulge your evil desires.”
“Alcohol” comes from the Arabic root word “Al kol”, which refers to any drug or substance that takes away the mind or covers it. When a person becomes drunk, they are not in control of their own mind. If you are not in control of your mind, Satan will be glad to control it for you. His mission: kill, steal, and destroy! How can you be focused on living as God wants you to? You can’t. The Bible clearly says to avoid drunkenness for good reason. Stay away!
Notice also what Galatians 5:16-21 (NLT) says: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other… When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures…drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.”
If you allow the Holy Spirit to guide and empower your life, you will be able to resist the temptations that your sinful flesh desires. The devil is a liar and he will try to convince you that one drink won’t hurt. Then he will tempt you with “just one more”, then another, then another until you are drunk.
Have you become dependent on alcohol to make you feel happy or likeable? The pleasant effects of alcohol are temporary. The devil wants to hold you and convince you that drinking will make you happy. My friends, the Lord longs for you to discover that happiness and joy are found in Christ, not from a bottle.
Reflection Questions
- What is your purpose for wanting to indulge in alcohol, whether one glass or ten?
- Does your desire to drink glorify God?
- How has alcohol led you into more sin? (For example: drugs, sexual immorality, anger, fighting, etc.)
Copyright © 2024 by Ashley Akers @ whatnowdevo.com. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org