Drinking
Buddies
August
15
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads
to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Hebrews 5:18
The four Sholan brothers were talented.
Their family band, ‘Whippoorwill’ played frequently throughout
the continental United States. Many weekends they treated the
neighborhood to a country music concert of sorts as their band
practiced for upcoming gigs on the front porch. They were, quite
honestly, very good. The problem was they were not just brothers,
they were drinking buddies. For the most part, no one complained
about the noise…except on the weekends when they drank. On those
weekends their mood shifted from placid amicability, to raucous
indifference.
The atmosphere around the neighborhood
became tense. Their song choices took on a darker tone; songs with
questionable lyrics were belted out without consideration that
ladies, teens and toddlers were within earshot. When that happened
trouble wasn’t far behind. Parents would herd their kids indoors
before the usual tripping over cords and falling over amplifiers
ensued.
Finally, the neighbors took the issue
to City Council, where council members passed an ordnance forbidding
the ‘outdoor’ playing of music without the issuance of a special
permit.
Eventually, a spirit of animosity
settled over the neighborhood.
†
When we drink to get ‘comfortable
with ourselves’ or set out to drown our sorrows, we numb our
senses. God says not to do that. Drinking leaves us vulnerable, and
causes us to do things we mostly regret, or even worse, don’t
remember. We not only make fools of ourselves, we are in dangerous
spiritual territory.
God wants drinking buddies, but not the
alcoholic kind. He wants those who are willing to drink deep of His
Spirit, those who want to be filled with the joy and wonder of His
anointing and love.
When we get drunk on wine we lose
self-control, we shut out the voice of God and reason, and we are no
longer able to discipline ourselves with wisdom and good judgment,
and…we tend to annoy innocent people.
Prayer
“Keep me from the
debauchery of alcohol and other sordid mind altering chemicals. I
would much rather know what it feels like to be drunk in the Spirit.
Right now, in this moment, fill me with joy and laughter. In Jesus’
Name, amen.”
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