If one has been careful to notice, I for one have not stated that it is necessarily sin for anyone to drink alcohol. For starters, it would depend upon the light one has been given. What might be sin for me may not be sin for you. One thing to consider carefully is the influence upon others.
I have a friend I have known for years that has been a temperate drinker from all outward signs. I have never seen this man drunk, and have never heard any indication that he abused his wife or family due to his drinking. He has never to my knowledge ever received any citation for the use of alcohol. One might at first glance consider this man to be the ‘model drinker.’
He had a son that had just turned eighteen. He loved this boy with all his heart and was careful to spend time with him on every possible occasion to hunt, fish, or attend sporting events. When fishing, etc, he allowed his son to drink an occasional beer with him, and always kept beer in his refrigerator.
In his sons last year in HS, a friend of his sons was tragically killed in a car accident. His son spoke to his dad and got the use of their new SUV to attend the funeral of their friend. The young boy left and on the way, picked up another young friend to ride to the funeral together. His father had already gone to work that day, and un known to his father, he took some beer out of the refrigerator to drink on the way to the funeral with his friend, to help drown the sorrow of their mutual loss. Traveling down the Interstate on the way to the funeral they started to miss their exit, when the driver swerved to make sure he would not miss it, and in the process rolled his Dad’s new SUV and both young men lost their lives instantly.
Sure this could have happened without alcohol being involved. Just the same, both boys had a low alcohol count in their blood stream.
Let me ask the reader, what influence did his fathers ‘moderate' drinking’ (if there is such a thing) have on this son and the other young man killed in this accident?
I believe that if anyone honestly considers the issue of alcohol from any perspective other than a selfish one, they will never allow such an easily abused substance such as alcohol touch their lips, and never allow such a substance to be found unattended in their homes.
That selfish sip of drinking even in moderation may be the impetus of a lifetime of sorrow and grief.
If my son goes out and consumes alcohol, and is killed in a tragic accident, I can lay my head on my pillow at night and know that I have done my best to train him in the way he should go, and I believe I could rest in the grace of God to comfort me in my grief. I wonder if my friend is resting in peace as he lays his head on his pillow? May God comfort his grieving heart and give those reading this post ears to hear.
