I want to write out a really cool lesson i learned/am learning about drinking and holding up my position as a Christian working for God's kingdom.
Not too long ago, actually a couple weeks before Christmas it hit me like a ton of bricks that my life priorities were not quite straight. I noticed (by God's grace) that what I looked forward to every week was going out and drinking on the weekends. I was so convicted because three years ago my heart was in a totally different place. My life was totally about ministry (college, work revolved around it.) and i knew it was my duty to drink minimally and be the "salt of the earth" when it came to drinking. Not just to keep the "rules" but because that was what God had laid on my heart. And somewhere along the line, I lost sight of that old conviction and have given in more and more to drinking, not thinking about the ramifications.
Then I got slapped in the face with the reality of where my heart was. Don't get me wrong--i'm not against drinking. I think that in the right place at the right times, responsibly, it can bring people together. This is just something specific to my life and heart. From GodSo I made a commitment to stop drinking and be available at all times to give rides and/or help people who needed it.
It was great. On New Year's Eve I provided almost 20 people with safe rides home and even though it probably wasn't that significant to anyone else, I felt so at peace and right about it. Like God was saying, "yes. this is what i've been getting at with you. isn't it good?"
Then on another night, I hung out at a bar, playing pool with one of my closest friends and closed the place down. A man was there with his wife playing pool with us. He was in awe that we were at the bar, at 130am, having fun, and hadn't had a sip of alcohol. He questioned it, and I gave him my reason. He was moved. And in my heart I know a seed was planted.
THEN i slipped up and got REALLY drunk with a group of my closest friends one saturday night a few weeks ago. No "wrong" was done per say, but that Sunday I felt so wrong. Even though I had a blast, danced with friends, and laughed a lot, I still heard God saying "this is not what your life is for".
I confessed to two of my closest Christian friends how wrong I felt. They were nothing but encouraging. One offered to share in my 'no drinking' commitment with me; the other reminded me of the precious truth that "he knows we are flesh from the dust. and this is his opportunity to remind you of that, and how His righteousness can be yours again. you are not that person of last night - that is external to your true identity, that was your old man, your fallen self. but today you wake as a blood bought child of the King, cleansed and pure by Him."
WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS FREEDOM 2 Corinthians 3:17
After my recommitment, I had a texting conversation with a friend who is a fellow student of the Word. I told him the story about playing pool at the bar, and he responded with this: "Jesus never said HOW, he simply commands, "love"...when Jesus says "love" he does not mean "bring people to church" or "tell them how i bash religion" or whatever. just love. and they will wonder why. it's exactly as you said. Plant the seed, we don't control the rainfall."
1 Corinthians 3:7"I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working."
And it was interesting, that I didn't notice what had actually happened til hindsight. But along with other kingdom work, that's the kind of thing i'm supposed to be doing. planting and watering, and mainly, loving people where they are.
“Leaders can’t afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer,Lest, hung over, they don’t know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt.Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the acheOf the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death.8-9 “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers.Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” -Proverbs 31
Thank you Jesus, for being Spirit. For knowing my heart, for knowing each heart you made. Thank you for hope bigger than what this world can offer. Thank you for individual callings. Thank you for planting and watering.
