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Drunkenness

             Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. (I Peter 1:13)

Drunk: affected by alcohol to the extent of losing control of one's faculties or behavior

Someone who is sober is not drunk. Yes, sober is also used to describe something that is muted in color or that is serious, somber, and altogether not fun. I’m pretty sure those last two definitions were developed by people trying to justify drunkenness with its reduction of control. The first definition is the key. To be sober is to not be drunk, to not be affected …to the extent of losing control of one’s faculties or behavior. Alcohol is not the only substance that produces that lack of control. Other drugs and toxins do. I’m going to suggest that emotions and physical or mental illness can, too. Moods (pervasive emotions) like doubt and pride should be added to the list. To be fair, nicotine, caffeine, sugar and food may all fall into the same category. They may not be as extreme, but they dull, excite, or addict the mind in a way that removes some measure of sense and self-control.

Why is this so important? Because when you lose control of your faculties or behavior, you lose your ability to hope wisely or well. Either for the time that you are under the influence, or in life in general, your hope slips to the thing that inebriated you, or to things you allow to connect with you while inebriated.

To put it bluntly, hope is hard. Too many things distract us. They interfere with our faculties and negatively influence our behavior, frequently luring our hopes to them instead of to Christ, making them the source of our hope and addicting us to the lies they offer. If you are putting your hope in something else, when it fails or Jesus returns, while you may welcome the grace revealed, if you were hoping for something else, will you be as happy as if you were hoping for Jesus? (Ouch.)

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