To Drink or Not to Drink
by Carolyn A. Tucker
Drinking alcohol is like playing Russian roulette. Sometimes you get by and sometimes you die. Everybody has their opinion about consuming alcoholic beverages, so we should see what God says about it.
“Wine has robbed my people of their understanding” (Hosea 4:11 NLT). That’s plain and simple, no commentary needed.
God was speaking in the Old Testament and said, “I chose some of your sons to be prophets and others to be Nazirites. Can you deny this, my people of Israel?” asks the Lord. “But you caused the Nazirites to sin by making them drink wine, and you commanded the prophets, ’Shut up!’” (Amos 2:11,12 NLT).
In the Bible, the Nazirites were set apart for God’s use and were not to drink wine. Today, Christians should desire to be sanctified (set apart) and dedicated to doing God’s work.
In another scripture, God says, “Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, ‘I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!’ That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!” (Micah 2:11 NLT). That’s plain and simple, no commentary needed.
Now we should see what life says about drinking alcohol. My mother had twelve brothers and two of them had miserable lives as alcoholics. The obituary for H.R.J. stated “he departed this life following a long illness.” After brother E.A.J.’s death, his wife wrote in a letter to a family member, “I sympathize with drinkers. If Elmer had only realized how hard he made it on his girls he would have quit. I’m sure.” The autopsy report revealed that he died of pneumonia and cirrhosis of the liver.
Drinking alcohol is like playing Russian roulette. Sometimes you get by and sometimes you die. It isn’t worth the risk. Perhaps you say, “I can handle it.” But what about your children and grandchildren that you influence…can they handle it?