Beer Buzz
Theme of the Week: Booze Busting
Saturday, May 3, 2003
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Q. Didn't you grow up with alcohol?
A. In my family, the cool thing was to be standing there holding a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. By the time I was 18, I could drink a six-pack and not even feel it. So for me, coming to Christ meant putting the beer away. For more than 20 years, drinking wasn't a major issue for me. But a couple of years ago, it nearly became one.
How was that?
Over a two-month period, I went from no beers to one or two a week. One sweltering Friday afternoon, I got thirsty on my way to speak at a men's retreat, and began to plot: Where could I buy a beer and not be seen by anyone I know? I drove to an out-of-the-way convenience store, parked, waited until all patrons had left, and entered. I bought a beer, held it close to my side, and hurried to my car. Then I really felt convicted, because the night before I'd had a long talk with my daughter about not covering things up. So I rolled down the window, threw that beer in a trash bin, and asked God for forgiveness.
But isn't it okay to have a beer now and then?
That misses the real point: Why do we drink in the first place? For me, it's the buzz that comes with it—putting the rest of the world on hold. If you reach for a cold one, you may miss an opportunity to move deeper in your relationship with God. Rather than drink away your pain—from stress, say, or guilt—face it with God, finding your comfort and solace in Him.
Max Lucado pastors Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas.
Adapted from Robert Andrescik, New Man (1-2/02) by permission.
Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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Lord, I want to be totally yours. Deliver me from anything that would sidetrack me.
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