- Photograph by Lisa S. from shutterstock.com
Drugs and Alcohol
Every country in the world is probably affected in
s some way by drug and alcohol use. In many countries
drug use is an acceptable and lawful activity. There are
the legal 'drugs' such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and
prescription drugs. Then there are of course the illegal
ones. This article does not have the space to list them
but I am sure we are aware of many of them even if
we have never used them.
In a recently published statistical report of
drug use among 16 to 59 year olds in the
UK, 1 in 12 had used an illicit drug in the
last year and of the 16 to 24 year olds included
in this number, 1 in 5 had used an illicit
drug (National Statistics Drug Misuse: findings
from the 2016/17 Crime Survey for England and
Wales www.gov.uk).
Another study showed that in the UK over 81% of adults over
the age of 16 had used alcohol in the past year
(Consumption: Adult drinking in the UK.
www.drinkaware.co.uk).
In whatever country you are reading this article your
country will have its own rules, legislation, problems and
statistics around drug and alcohol use. Wherever we live
there is no escaping its presence!
Problems caused by alcohol and drug abuse
Now some would say that to be a
Christian we must abstain from all
drug use. Is this what the Bible
says? Some might even say that the
Bible does not specifically mention
drugs, only alcohol, but it is
important to note that alcohol is in
itself a drug so references to alcohol
abuse in the Bible contain lessons
and directions that could be used
for any form of drug abuse.
The Bible does not necessarily teach
total abstinence from alcohol,
except in special circumstances. For
example, in the Old Testament we
read about priests abstaining from
alcohol when performing their
duties in the tent of meeting
(Leviticus 10.8, 9). Another example
of such abstinence was associated
with taking the Nazirite vow
(Numbers 6.1-8).
In some cases the Bible even
recommends alcohol use. For
example we read about a possible
medical use for alcohol in one of
Paul's letters to Timothy:
"Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."
The emphasis here must be on
the word 'little' – not quantities
that could be called abuse,
quantities that lead to intoxication
and which can lead on to more
complicated problems such as
addiction.
When we think of the problems
caused by drug and alcohol abuse,
the list is very long. We think of the
long-term physical effects and how
the body gets worn down by having
to manage the effects of drugs on
the body's organs. It raises blood
pressure, it increases the risks of
some cancers, the liver becomes
inflamed, enlarged and stops
working as it should. We think of
the effects on the brain and our
mental wellbeing. It can cause
certain types of dementia, make our
mood low and it can make us
aggressive and argumentative. This
in turn can adversely affect
relationships with family, friends
and peers within our work place.
The insidious effects of drug and
alcohol abuse reach far and wide.
What might have started out as a
choice, a feeling that we are in
control, can very easily become a
situation where choice is replaced
by an absolute need for the
substance above everything else in
our lives. So it is no longer an
option of free will, one has become
overwhelmed by an illness or
disease due to addiction.
what does the Bible say
about the effects of drug
and alcohol abuse?
The Bible is very accurate and very
clear about the nature and
problems of excessive alcohol use
and the power of addiction.
For example, think about these words
of the wise man Solomon from the
Book of Proverbs:
"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. "They hit me," you will say, "but I am not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"
An even more graphic account is
recorded by the prophet Isaiah:
"And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer. Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth."
Photograph by 1000 Words from shutterstock.com
I think we get the picture don't we?
The Bible leaves nothing to our
imagination! Here are two other
examples of what the Bible clearly
says about alcohol abuse:
"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the spirit."
"Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise"
In the first book of the Bible we read
about Noah who was perhaps the
first man to experience the negative
effects of alcohol use. We are told
that Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his
time and he did everything that God
asked of him (Genesis 6.9). After
the flood we are told that he
planted a vineyard and when he
drank the wine produced from it he
became drunk and fell asleep naked
in his tent, a behaviour seen as
immodest and shameful (Genesis
9.20-27). So if someone as
righteous as Noah, even though his
actions could be seen as
naïve rather than intentional, was
affected by the power of alcohol, we
must learn from this, as it shows us
that no one is immune from the
effects of drugs and alcohol.
Why do people use drugs and alcohol?
We can think of many reasons why
someone will use a drug. Firstly
there is the social context. Many
people see the use of alcohol as
being associated with relaxing with
friends and family around the meal
table to accompany food perhaps.
Photograph by Graphic.mooi from shutterstock.com
We maybe have been to a celebration
such as a wedding where
there has been champagne to toast
the bride and groom. We read in the
Bible that Jesus turned water into
wine for a wedding feast, so this
has been a custom for thousands of
years.
But for many, drug and alcohol use
becomes much more than a social
nicety. It becomes a coping mechanism
to alleviate the stresses and
strains that living in this world
gives us: low self-esteem, anxiety,
low-mood, hopelessness, life
traumas such as loss or hurt, the
list goes on. Drugs and alcohol
become a way of filling a void
within us, a buffer or cushion to
the difficulties and worries we
experience.
We have already referred to the
words of Solomon in Proverbs. God
gave him everything a man could
desire but Solomon's evaluation,
recorded so forcefully in the book of
Ecclesiastes, was that everything
that one could experience or
achieve in this world was
"Meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
and that without the hope of something
more, this world eventually leaves
us feeling that something is
missing. And this is where God and
His Word the Bible really have the
answers.
In many western countries there is
an organization called Alcoholics
Anonymous (UK website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk) which
was created to help people who
have become addicted to alcohol.
Interestingly, the philosophy that
underlies their model of support
and recovery for AA group meetings
is that there needs to be a
recognition of a power "greater than ourselves". Addicts can no
longer rely on themselves, they
have little or no resolve and only
have eyes for the drug in front of
them. Their minds are consumed by
the drug they desire. The remedy is
to put themselves in the hands of a
higher being, in order to gain
strength and hope.
What is the Bible's answer?
As Christians we believe that there
is no greater being, no greater
power than God, the Creator of this
world and on whom we are all
reliant. God says through the
mouthpiece of the prophet Isaiah:
"He (God) gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Jesus appeals to all who are troubled in mind or body:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The trouble with drug and alcohol
abuse is that it gets in the way of
seeking God and praising Him. The
addict is taken up by the desire to
experience the effects of the drug
that his mind and body crave. It is
both a physical and a mental need
and if the mind is being taken up by
these thoughts how can he or she
give to God what He wants from us
as a believer? Jesus said:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
A total commitment is needed then. The
Apostle Paul wrote:
''"Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial.
Everything is permissible for me but I will not be mastered by anything."''
"... You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body."
If we are abusing a drug can we fulfil this command to "honour God with your body?"
Some people in this world can be
proud, boastful even, of the amount
of alcohol or drugs they consume
and others can be looked down
upon if they can't keep up with this
shallow lifestyle choice. Here are
some words of warning from the
book of the prophet Isaiah:
"Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel."
But for those who want to follow
God's ways there are words of
encouragement:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will."
The Apostle Peter added:
"Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because he cares for you."
In conclusion then, the Bible is very clear that to abuse any drug is
detrimental to the health of an individual. But more importantly, it
is detrimental to our spiritual wellbeing and is sinful behaviour
that gets in the way of developing a rewarding relationship with God. As
with all things of this world, drugs and alcohol offer empty, short term
comfort. The Bible guides us then to have self-control, to avoid
the traps of this world, and to rely on God our Father for support,
strength and guidance.
''"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly
passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly
lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope -
the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ."''
Author Ricard West
Country Norfolk, England
Source Light on a New World reprint from Volume 29.3
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