THIS CHRISTIAN NEEDS A DRINK! Part 3: So did I drink that rum punch yet?

It's been a long time coming - What up Doc? We in here. We ain't new to this thing, Hip-Hop! We been here. Look deep in our eyes - no fear, we been here, we in here, we in here!!!...........LOL! lemme stop singing that Corey Red and Precise song, 'We in Here', in my crazy off-tone before y'all start thinking 'Chick is high off the good stuff!' LOL!....back to the regular scheduled broadcast - and long-awaited answer to the question - "To drinketh, or not to drinketh rum punch?" Ah yes, that was the question...

Sooooo, the other night I decided, what the hay! I'm going to partake in a little Ethiopian Honey Wine with my, rather smashing, Assa (Tilapia sautéed in awazei sauce - an Ethiopian red pepper sauce). It seemed way too Philistinian to eat such a fine Homeland meal without the national wine. So why not, I thought? I'm a woman who believes in fine dining and embracing cultures, especially those from my motherland.

Now, I did not make my mind up so lightly. Prior to making my dining arrangements for the evening I thought about 1 Timothy 5:23 that mentions taking a little wine for a poorly stomach - so, I concluded that pre-menstrual cramps were a little deserving of medical consideration, especially considering that this time of my feminine life has been the first I have had to suffer such gross atrocity against my abdominal flesh. I thought about Proverbs 31: 6-7 that said one should give wine to folks who are going through - so I considered my pretty stressful emotional circumstances and issues that were weighing quite heavily on my sanity of late. Then I thought about all those Biblical Scripture I had meditated on that warned me of drunkeness and the sin that so easily comes to those inebriated out of their sacred mind (check out Part 2 of this series)- so, I was of resolute mind not to drink more than one glass (that Honey Wine is some serious stuff).

Now, being quite settled in my own comfort and discipline not to lose my religion over one drink, I found myself sitting at the dinner table with a girlfriend who was not so conclusive about her freedom - nor comfort, as a Christian, to drink. So I was left with the dilemna of whether to exercise my freedom at her discomfort or to restrain my freedom to drink. In the few seconds of processing my thoughts, I was led to meditate on this Scripture:

"Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible - but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the 
sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake - the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." (1 Cor 10:23-33)

I realized that while I do, in FACT, have the freedom to drink my rum punch and honey wine, for some folks drinking alcohol will encourage them to engage in behaviors that lead to sin, so they are wary to drink. For others, the potential negative image they portray of themselves as a Christian, in public, drinking alcohol, when the secular world abuses it, more than often, poses sufficient fear to keep them from drinking, less they be typecast as a drunkard or hypocritical Christian. Many people also hold the traditional misconception that alcohol is to be avoided by Christians, in totality, and they see Biblical warnings against drunkeness and drinking as commandments against alcoholic consumption, rather than a guide towards moderation and appropriate conduct.

So, I declined my honey wine that evening, not wishing to harm the conscience of my friend. Now, like me, at first, some of y'all are perhaps thinking, 'If drinking alcohol is not a sin, and is permissable, why should I have to choose not to drink because someone else can't handle their drink without falling off the sin cliff, or someone is opposed to drinking out of a misconception that there is a divine law against it?" Well, this is what came to me on those same thoughts:

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law(though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), 
so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Cor 9:19-23)

Now that said, Christians (and non-Christians) need to understand that their limitations are not those of another Believer, and that they should not judge another Believer's walk with God, including their perception 
of what it means for a Christian having an alcoholic drink, based on how they must, as necessity, limit themselves in order to prevent from being ensnared by sinful behavior. Oftentimes folks are just weary of opening themselves up to the things that trapped them in sin before they came to Christ. And that is understandable. You have to know your limits. But we should never seek to impose our limitations on others.  We have laws that dictate the acceptable age of drinking alcohol, driving and, shamefully, even having sex! In the same way, God's laws and admonishments have some applicability to the maturity of the person, so we should not see another person's walk in the same light as our own nor vice versa. There is a fine balance in exercising our freedom in Christ with our duty to sharpen and be mindful of each other, but it is possible to maintain that balance if we see each other beyond the log in our own eye.

So, no, I did not drink 'ah likkle rum punch', or rather, honey wine that night...but yes! This Christian drinks 'ah likkle rum punch', among other alcoholic beverages! In FACT, last night, being in company that was not about to lose their religion, nor judge the Christian world for my one drink, I sipped very happilly on my honey wine, over another helping of fabulous Ethiopian cuisine at DC's Zed's Ethiopian Restaurant, in the great company of my husband.

So Cheers! to your good health in Christ, to those of you mature enough not to go beyond the limit with alcohol. And for those of you Christians (& non-Christians) who now recognize your divine liberty to down 'ah likkle rum punch' and what not, please remember:

"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God." 1 Peter 2:15-16

In other words - just because you can drink alcohol - don't drink so you can have an excuse to do all those things you know full well you  have no business doing! Having a drink is meant for you to relax and 
unwind from stress, not get drunk, relax morals and untie yourself from the Laws of God. Sip on a little of that drink - but don't turn the lights down, baby! LOL! (Well, unless you are with your husband or wife! Ha! ummmmmmm! ;-)








Oh! and this is for those of you who don't need to be turning off no light, after that drink! LOL!...an 'eye-opener' courtesy of Corey Red - off of the Corey Red and Precise "Resistance iz Futile" album