The Worst Feeling In The World

This Friday kicks off the Crash Choices Camp-In. The guys will meet this Friday at 5:30 and have a lock-in up in the Loft. We'll have fun and play games, but more importantly we'll talk about the choices we are faced with, making good God pleasing choices, and what it means to be a man of God. In honor of Choices Camp-In, I'm going to answer a question that has to deal with choices some of you may be faced with. The question is, "Have you ever drank [alcohol] in your life?" and "have you ever gotten drunk?"

Before I answer this question, let's look at what the Bible has to say about alcohol. One of Jesus' first recorded miracles was changing water to wine in John chapter 2. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit." Debauchery is doing lots of things to in the flesh, momentarily feel good, like sin. Paul tells us not to get drunk, because it'll trap us in sin. Rather we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. We shouldn't let pleasures drive and control us, but we should let God drive and control us. What you need to realize is, alcohol makes you loose control. Not only does it slow down your reaction time (which is why no one should ever drive after drinking alcohol), but you may say and do things you wouldn't normally do.

I don't believe God is necessarily opposed to alcohol. God's word reminds us that not only with alcohol, but with anything, it shouldn't be in excess. We shouldn't allow ourselves to be driven or controlled by anything other than God. Also God tells us to respect authority. The law in this country is that those 21 years old or older can drink alcohol, God tells us to honor and respect that (So none of you students should be drinking). Also, we shouldn't cause another Christian to stumble. Drinking may be fine for you (when you're 21) but for a friend of yours it may not be. He may be an alcoholic (someone who is addicted to alcohol). You never know, so you need to be careful where you drink and who you drink around.

That having been said, here is my answers to the questions. I have had alcohol and I have gotten drunk (had too much alcohol). It was the worst feeling in the world for me. I was not in control of myself. Worse, I threw up many, many times, and my body just ached. Think of the worst you've felt when you've been sick, now multiply that by 10. I do not recommend any of you feel like that. I do not recommend that any of you get drunk.

This week and next we'll be talking about choices that we make and are faced with at the Crash Choices Camp-In. The choice to get drunk was not a good choice, it was not, "being filled with the Holy Spirit." It was a choice that I made, that was NOT glorifying to God. As we have all made good and bad choices, this is one of those bad choices that I am not proud of, that I regret. I want to encourage you NOT to make the same choice.