Skip to main content

Don't Get Drunk


           Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

          Let’s start with terminology. The NIV uses the term debauchery, which means excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. The New American Standard edition uses the term dissipation, which means the squandering of money, energy, or resources. I don’t have my Greek resources available, so I can’t go farther than that at the moment. But suffice to say that if you are doing something in excess, you are likely squandering money, energy, or resources that could have been better used to care for (love) others. In fact, if you are deliberately squandering the money as an alternative to caring for others, you are hating them. About 40% of criminals claim that they were under the influence when they committed their crimes. Clearly, drunkenness tends to lead to evil. The verse doesn’t say not to drink any wine (or alcoholic beverages), but not to get drunk. It is the getting drunk part that is prohibited.
          So, why do people get drunk? According to The Motivational Model of Alcohol Use,[1] there are four basic reasons:
1) Enhancement (because it’s exciting.),
2) Coping (to forget about my worries),
3) Social (to celebrate), and
4) Conformity (to fit in).
          In other words, people drink to feel good or to stop feeling bad in some way.
Paul’s alternative to getting drunk is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and as a result, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs. We’re to sing and give thanks. So, what are the benefits of singing?
1) Strengthens immune system
2) Is exercise (therefore it strengthens the body)
3) Improves posture (if done right, which strengthens the body)
4) Helps with sleep
5) It’s a natural anti-depressant
6) Lowers stress levels
7) Improves mental alertness
8) Can widen your circle of friends
9) Boosts self-confidence
10) Broadens communication skills
11) Builds appreciation of other singers.
          In other words, singing and worshipping enhances our lives, helps us cope, provides connection to others and celebration, and lets us fit in.  And it does it all without the hangover, with little to no damage to relationships or finances. Whether Paul recognized the power of singing and worship or was inspired by God to offer it as a better alternative to drunkenness, it seems that modern science agrees with him that it is a better alternative.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more