Alcoholism and drug use are two of the most addictive behaviors on earth. They are two ills of society that most of the time are too large and devastating to be handled on your own. I speak to it from living with it for 25 years. My father was an alcoholic and he died at the age of 48, which was the day before my 25th
birthday. Alcoholism can run in families. My dad and his father were both alcoholics and my grandfather died of it at 31 years old. There are many references to alcohol in the bible. One would be in Proverbs 20:1.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Going drinking with the guys once in a great while in itself isn’t a sin. Many in the bible consumed liquor for various functions. Jesus even turned water into wine at his mother’s request for a wedding. What I’m talking about is that deep urge that consumes you and is nearly impossible to shake. I myself drank in my younger years and got my real first taste of it in college. I got hooked and drank much more that I should have. I’m lucky I didn’t kill myself or someone else in being under the influence.
I look back and think about how reckless I was and that with the history of alcoholism in my family, I probably shouldn’t have drank at all. Fortunately, I
tapered off on the drinking and now I don’t drink. However, my family member has a problem with drinking and we are working with him to fight this demon. He seems to be handling it at this point.
The main thing is “don’t try to handle it by yourself” if it starts to get too severe. There are groups like Alcoholics Anonymous that do great work in supporting people who have trouble coping with this very addictive substance. Here is a
scripture to read 1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil… seeketh whom he may devour.”
The devil loves to use alcohol as a tool to divert you from the path of
righteousness. Drinking does cause anxiety, frustration and possibly depression. Satan can take you down a deep hole with wine, beer, etc. and completely distort reality. God wants you to enjoy the pleasures of this life. But as you have probably heard many times-everything needs to be done in moderation. In the bible it often talks about liquor and food together and states to not be led to gluttony. The Lord doesn’t want you to abuse anything. It can lead to a multitude of ills.
Look at this scripture Isaiah 5:11
“Woe unto them that rise up early… that continue until night, till wine inflame them!”
My dad would go on binges and be out drinking 2 or 3 days until he showed up or we had to go get him. If you look at the full gamut of alcoholism, it has so many factors you may not realize. If you are driving and get pulled over, a dui (driving under the influence) is devastating. It causes you to be taken to jail. You have to post bond. Also, a lawyer is necessary to defend you. You have to go to classes
related to drinking. It stays on your record and people will know you have a problem. Sometimes you have to have a breathalyzer (IID Ignition Interlock
Devise) installed in your car to safeguard you against starting the vehicle if you have been drinking. You blow into it and if you have a certain alcohol percent in your breath/blood you can’t start your car. If you aren’t caught while impaired you very likely could be in an accident and kill or maim yourself or someone else.
Finally, if you have a second offense of a dui, you may have to serve time in jail. Does all of that really seem worth it? And of course that doesn’t even touch the embarrassment, the disruption of your relationship with your spouse, family or
significant other and even job loss. The fines, damage to your vehicle or yourself, the cost of all the booze you consume-it never seems to end. The financial cost can be devastating. Do not try to tackle this problem alone.
We had to go and pick my dad up from jail so many times I can’t even count. When I was a young child mom would drive my brother and I around to my dad’s regular bar hangouts trying to find him. He was in numerous wrecks and had some significant injuries in these events. For most of this period I wasn’t truly
religious and was just a kid for the majority of it. It caused a lot of harm to our family, especially my mother who almost left my father. There have been others in my life addicted to alcohol and it always seems to end the same. Getting help and dowsing water on this fuse to your personal powder keg is your only out. Alcohol won’t release you-you have to release it. The spectrum of emotions that can come into play with this problem is significant. I would be diving into my bible if I
suffered from the anxiety, frustration and depression it can cause. Reading God’s word is soothing and can help you clear your mind. Then you can make a plan of action. Here’s another scripture to meditate on. Proverbs 23:29–35
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow?… they that tarry long at the wine…”
To me this just emphasizes that drinking has very little upside. The devastation to your body is also detrimental. Many people who drink impact their organs. The most common repercussion is cirrhosis of the liver. The Merriam-Webster
dictionary definition is:
: widespread disruption of normal liver structure by fibrosis and the formation of regenerative nodules that is caused by any of various chronic progressive conditions affecting the liver (such as long-term alcohol abuse or hepatitis)
This can be a fatal condition. here’s what MedicalNewsToday explains about this condition.
“Cirrhosis of the liver is a severe condition, causing scarring and permanent damage to the liver. Life expectancy depends on the stage and type of liver cirrhosis, but it may vary between roughly 2 to 12 years.”
A lot of people would say I’m not trying to scare you. But in this case I am. As the saying goes, “I’m as serious as a heart attack.” Heed the sign of any health
deviations that you think could be related to your drinking. The is just one potential negative consequence.
To reiterate the damage that can be done. Financially is can wreak havoc of your family as well. Let’s look at Proverbs 31:6–7
“Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish… let him drink, and forget his poverty…”
For my family it was an insurmountable problem. My dad worked on commission and he was the only source of income. When he went drinking and spent it on booze, fines, etc. he depleted all that we had. When he made good sales we had money and when he didn’t we had little. When he didn’t make sales he became depressed and tried to cope with it by drinking. That eroded the little bit of money that we had, so things became very dark at times. Maybe money isn’t a problem for you but with the costs associated with alcohol, it could impact your life in short order not to mention your relationships. I think at this point you understand
where I’m coming from. So read your bible for support and comfort. Get an accountability friend in your life that you can share how you are coping with your problem on a regular basis. Also, you can call the church office and talk to a preacher or staff member that will gladly meet with you to discuss the problem and mutually come up with a plan that can set you on the right course. The bottom line is some type of action needs to be taken or it you will gradually slip into a quagmire and be taken under and that’s not the way this story should end.
If you truly become an alcoholic life can become quite a challenge in managing your addiction. The addictiveness will suck you into a vortex you can’t get out of.
One more scripture to peruse. Proverbs 23:35
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”
The desire is never ending at some point. Just remember that even when you stop you are only one drink away from doing it all over again.
