Happy New Year! I will write in the next few days along a little more serious lines, but for now, here's my rant to vent a little bit. I don't understand why a certain day on the calender puts people in a mood to do something that defiles their character.
"hey look, a full moon, I know... I'll go rob a bank..."
"hey I'm getting married next week, I'll go get drunk and have a crazy night before I get tied down to the ball and chain..."
"hey it's new years, I'll get plastered and do something I really regret..."
I'm not surprised when your average joe partakes in cultural norms of drinking or doing something regrettable. My problem is when I hear of "commited Christians" doing the same. I really don't want to be "judgemental" but we need to call one another to a higher place of character as Christ followers. There is not anything Biblically wrong with having a glass of wine or drinking a beer. But the Bible is clear on drunkeness being a sin (Eph. 5:18, 1 Cor. 6:10) that which seperates people from God and Christians from the intimate grace and presence of God.
How do we define ourselves, by our high point, or by our low point? Why do we take who we are in Christ and throw it away for a day because of a "special" date on a calendar? I know we should not define our lives by our low point, high point, or average, but by who Father God sees us as in Christ. However, that should not be some lame copout to lower our standards and sin against God. It should be a force of grace to movivate us to goodness and righteousness in our practical choices as we are in the process of maturing as sons of God. Our poor choices (i.e. sin) ought to diminish as we follow Christ. I'm the first one to say that I've got a long way to go to be like Jesus and there's a lot about me that needs to grow and change for that to happen. But let's call sin what it is and ask God for grace to avoid. This new year I need grace to "instruct me to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age (Titus 2:12 NIV paraphrase)."
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2 comments:
I have always found that odd as well. I understand (in a sense) when a Christian gives into temptation to do that which is sinful, but perhaps "feels good", but the idea of getting drunk??? I have watched people in my life puke their guts out, and I have watched the same happen on any VH1 reality show that is on any given week. Nothing seems fun about getting drunk to me. I have never been drunk, so maybe I miss the point, but to me, something that ends with hugging a toilet and vomiting is just not all that appealing.
And in regards to Bachelor Parties, you should have heard Pastor Mark call out some dude who went to a Vegas strip club and told his fiancee that she didn't have a right to be upset.
Just like you, I have my own struggles and much work to be done to be like Christ, but there are some things that I think the both of us will never understand why they hold attraction to other Christians.
It's true.
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