Anyway, I dont drink. I just can't get the stuff down. But also I know I stand in front of 500 people a week who may get the wrong idea even if they see me just having a single drink and I want to stay as far away from confusion as I possibly can (we could talk all day about this issue but we won't....this is the way I feel and as long as your philosophy falls in line with the teachings of Jesus and you can look yourself in the mirror every day then you are good.) It helps that I hate the taste of alcohol so problem solved.
I kinda dislike New Years Eve b/c it's an excuse for people who just follow rules to get tipsy. By "just follow rules" I mean they don't drink b/c they think that action will get them to Heaven. (Now, I am the biggest sinner you will ever meet so don't think I am better than them. I am not. I am worse probably. But I know I am going to Heaven b/c of Jesus, not rules) To know if you are a "rule follower" examine why you do or don't do things. Is it b/c you love Jesus and want to honor Him or is it because you just follow a rule. Let's say you had a coupon good for one day that let you punch someone in the face who you didn't like....and you wouldn't get in trouble.....you have a coupon. You see where I'm going here.
There is no "free day" where getting drunk is fine. This is why I still wouldn't smoke weed even if it were legal (these are the things you sit around and talk about if you are a guy).
So I'm at the party and two other guys and I are acting crazy....dancing around, singing the Larry the Scary Rex song, singing David Hasselhoff in 3 part harmony (angelic) and I heard some guy say, "which one of those guys is driving" - assuming we were drunk. I say all of that to ask a question:
Should I care that I am at a party were alcohol is served and people think I am drunk b/c I am acting dumb? Should I not go anywhere where alcohol is being served? Or do I just not worry about it? Seriously I want to hear some opinions.
Do I stay as far away from that issue as possible or do I just not worry about it?
I have to care. We all have to examine if what we choose to do is smart. But how far do you go? I want to be totally above reproach on this. I don't want there to even be a hint of impurity on this issue. What do you think?
4 comments:
Hey Josh - love your blog! To answer your question I ask you a question, Which kind of misunderstood are you called to be? "For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Luke 7:33-34
With our position as followers of Christ comes judgement from all around. You are right in that it is a double edged sword. You stay away from one thing and you are not among the people you are supposed to love. You put yourself around that thing and you may push away those who look on you as a leader in the faith. Personally I am not going to stay completely away from situations like that because I'm fine with being judged by whoever. You are in a different position as me though. Jesus was called lots of things, and he had tons of untrue judgements thrown his way. I don't recall him questioning any of his decisions. He was himself allllll the time and he was a friend of sinners. Those who knew him loved him and even many of those who judged him came to know him and loved him.
So I would say keep being who you are and making those decisions. Call that guy who questioned your sobriety and take him to coffee. I don't know. In the end I feel like way more people will be touched by your life than offended by it.
Hmm...I like The Madden's response here. Especially about the coffee part--- isn't that what our faith is about anyway, relationship? At some level it seems like you pick the lesser of two evils. We are never going to be outside of the scrutiny of the world's eyes. There is much more to your ministry than the occasional happenstance of being somewhere where there may be alcohol. I mean, restaurants for that matter. I think authenticity in who you are goes a bit deeper... I like to believe in and trust my own, holy spirit influenced, radar in regard to situations like that. It seems that it would be a moment to moment, circumstance to circumstance decision. Not to have one huge general exclusion of such situations. I've just stream of consciousness-ed all over this blog comment. :) That's what happens when it gets late. Bravo for another thought provoking blog post, Josh.
Booze or no booze, we are called to be of "sober mind." So, perhaps the question should not be whether you should be seen around alcohol, but rather, have you "girded up the loins of your mind" at all times?
You are a good man and, being in your position, you have to walk a fine line between being lame for the sake of those who are judgmental and awesome for the sake of those who are sincere. So I say just be aware of your surroundings and conform your behavior thereto (yeah, i said thereto).
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