Drinking

Drinking
Today is the day that I end a four week fast of alcohol. I basically did it, because I’m aware how much I love a beer or a glass of wine and just need to prove to myself from time to time that I can live without it. To make sure it’s in its rightful place. You know what, I think I’ve done quite well. The main impact – it’s just been a bit boring. Like having dinner with friends, no glass of wine - boring. Fancy going out for a drink, not if it’s coke I don’t – boring.
It’s a bizarre thing drinking and a challenge for a lot of Christians, how much is ok, how much is not ok? For a while I struggled with what is my limit and I felt God give me this measure – “if you were needed to pray at any point during the evening, would you feel ok about approaching God in that state of sobriety?” Would I feel cool and OK about approaching God after that many beers? That for me has been the measure and it’s a measure I’m cool with, don’t know what other people think.
I also take great encouragement by the fact that Jesus clearly liked a drink. Not only turning water into wine (a very cool miracle) but also he was accused of being a drunkard, which he so clearly won’t have been but you don’t get accused of that unless you have the odd drink or two. Clearly he enjoyed it and so I see no problem with me enjoying it.
The difficulty of course is being a leader, people look to you and they perhaps see you drinking and don’t understand the thought process you’ve applied to it. They see you packing away a few beers, and think it’s ok for them to do the same. But perhaps a few beers has a bigger impact on them? Perhaps they don’t have the same self control – I know I didn’t use to.
But, I think that whilst I have a responsibility as a leader, maybe my call is to model how to drink and do it in an ok way for a Christian, cos let’s face it plenty of Christians will drink, so if all we model is abstinence then that’s only going to be so helpful.
Anyway, I am so looking forward to a few beers – can’t quite believe today is the only day of the 4 weeks that I have a bit of a sore throat and don’t actually fancy one. I remember this happened last time I did this. Bizarre, random, annoying, but hey, I’ll just have to do one of my “I believe this beer can heal me” prayers and push past the pain barrier.