The stats are in and Americans are drinking . . .
a lot.
And that Americans are drinking a lot more.
In the past 10 years, heavy drinking has gone up 17%
and one in five Americans is considered a binge drinker.
Now, before you pause and Google, "What are the criteria for binge drinker?" consider this.
The question really is, "Is it okay for a Christian to drink alcohol at all?"
The Bible is relatively silent when it comes to prohibitions with alcohol.
However, it does say it is not okay to overindulge and to get drunk.
So, what does that mean for us?
You have to look inside of yourself.
And what I mean by that is, it comes down to people.
The Apostle Paul says lots of things are permissible,
but not everything is beneficial.
Every one of us is wired a little bit differently.
If your parents are alcoholic, let's say you have one alcoholic parent,
that means you have a 50% chance of being alcoholic yourself.
If both parents are alcoholic, you have a 75% chance of being alcoholic.
So what's the takeaway?
You may be wired in such a way that you were driven to compulsive drinking.
You may be wired in such a way that you naturally are prone to over indulgence.
If that's the case, even though the Bible says it may be okay,
you step back and say, "This is not for me."
Now, you might be on the other side.
Maybe you can have a glass of wine, or even two, with your friends and you feel no compulsion to overindulge.
You never have too many and this is not something that controls your life, or ruins your body,
or your health or your productivity.
So, you're thinking, "Great! I can have all the wine I want as long as it's within a certain amount."
Not quite so fast.
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
In America right now, one and seven people have struggled with an alcohol problem this last year.
That means as you go and enjoy drink yourself,
maybe it is no problem for you.
However, you don't know where they're at in their journey to try and stop alcohol's control in their life.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
And sometimes the greater love for your brother or sister in Christ,
means you step back from your ability so that you can help them walk with God.
Because, ultimately, that's what we all want.
Whenever we talk about alcohol, that's a
difficult topic because for many of us, or many of us know someone,
who has been controlled by alcohol.
And my question to you is, "Are you one of those one-in-seven that struggles with alcohol?"
This is not something you need to be ashamed of, to hide under the rug.
This is something you need to go talk to people about and find resources to get the help
you need so that you can continue your walk with God
and not be controlled by this outside force.
I look forward to talking with you tomorrow as you wrap up our series and we ask the question,
"Is it ok for Christian to get a tattoo?"
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