Drunk

Proverbs 23:29-35 <The Message>

Who are the people who are always crying the blues? Who do you know who reeks of self-pity? Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all? Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot? It's those who spend the night with a bottle, for whom drinking is serious business. Don't judge wine by its label, or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavor. Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with— the splitting headache, the queasy stomach. Do you really prefer seeing double, with your speech all slurred, reeling and seasick, drunk as a sailor? "They hit me," you'll say, "but it didn't hurt; they beat on me, but I didn't feel a thing. When I'm sober enough to manage it, bring me another drink!"

I stumbled (pun intended) across these verses this morning while looking for something else. I rarely read from The Message as I often prefer more literal translations of the Bible when studying. However, occasionally, The Message translates things in a way that gives really good word pictures. These verses are a prime example of that.

I grew up in Wisconsin where there is a bar on every corner and great pride is taken in their beer (and their cheese J). Drinking was and still is a big part of life in that state (and many others). For some it is not “serious business” but for many it is. Back in my drinking days I had many friends who knew the cure for a hangover and almost every cure involved some type of alcoholic drink. I guess that is why these verses caused me to stop and reflect.

Back then I didn’t know that the Bible had so much information and advice in regards to drinking. I knew it wasn’t polite to get drunk and thought the Bible probably said something like “thou shalt not allow wine to pass through your lips” – which by the way I can’t find in the Bible. But I also knew that in the church where I grew up we had communion which consisted of a small sip of wine. So naturally I was confused.

Sometime in my early thirties I came to realize that drinking played too much of an important role in my life and was defining me. So I made the choice to eliminate alcohol from my life. It was hard because so much of what I did socially involved being with others who drank. My heart broke as I found out that some of my closest friends were really only drinking buddies. At first I felt sorry for myself and then I felt left out. Yes, it was hard for many reasons. But that was twenty years ago. My life now is fun, full and even exciting! I would never want to go back and am so thankful that God helped me find a better path for my life.

The verses above reminded me how blessed I am. I still remember some pretty ugly hangovers (“splitting headache, queasy stomach”) and am very thankful that is no longer part of my life. There was a time when the word “sober” translated in my mind as “somber”. Now it translates in my mind as “HALLELUIAH!”