Tonight, I repented after 25 years of legalism and self-righteousness: I had my first sip of alcohol. I had a sip a "Cancun Cocktail" (which I must say, was pretty darn good!) and I ordered my first beer, a Sam Adams.
Why is this so important to me? A few reasons come to mind. Let me explain. I became a Christian in 1996, and since then, to me alcohol has always been associated with the "wrong". God didn't want his people to drink the "devil's juice" and to me, drinking equaled drunkeness, which was most definitely forbidden in scripture.
My father, who considers himself a Christian, took pride in the fact that he never had a sip of alcohol. He prided himself on the fact that he could be the life of the party without drinking. I envied that, and took his pride as righteousness. My grandfather on my mother's side, who unfortunately never came to know Christ before dying in 1996, never had a sip of alcohol in his life either. Again, I mistook his pride for righteousness. Both paraded this fact through my years growing up. It became righteous to not drink. Plain and simple.
So, in 1996 I came to know Christ at the age of 15 and never had an interest in drinking. (Especially before age 21!) But it was then that my legalistic and self-righteous mindset grew.
From then until now, secretly, in the back of mind, any Christian who drank alcohol was in some way backslidden. They were in the wrong and obviously missed the scriptures that stated "Thou shall not drink alcohol."
So why now?? Why after 25 years of believing that I was better than any person who drank alcohol amd I now repenting?
*Well, for starters, it came from a book. Mark Driscoll spent an entire chapter in his book "Radical Reformission" disputing this mindset of how evil and demonic people who drink alcohol are. Let's just say I was pretty convicted.
*Second, it came from a desire to be able to fellowship with my brothers and sisters and Christ who can enjoy a nice drink without getting drunk and can enjoy an awesome time of joy and fellowship talking about how amazingly wonderful our Creator is.
*Third, I can think of more times than I can count when co-workers have asked me to go out for drinks with them, and because, of course, I was better then them, I denied their request to fellowship with them. In doing so, I denied an opporunity to be "Christ" to them in that time.
*Fourth, Jesus drank wine at a wedding. He didn't turn the water into more water; he didn't turn it into juice; he turned it into wine. More wine. Why in the world then, should I believe that in me not drinking alcohol, that I could be more righteous then my Lord. Was my abstention from alcohol making me more holy than Him? Certainly not.
Fifth, and finally, I learned that have been sinning more by my self-righteousness than I was by drinking alcohol, which isn't even sin to begin with.
Unfortunately, the fact that I have not drank in 25 years never gave me that "life of the party" personality that my father has. That plan failed. And not drinking never made me better than anyone else. Plan B failed too. And of course, it certainly didn't help my witness by saying "Hey I am a Christian and I don't drink!! Sounds like fun huh?". Plan A, B, C... all failures. Plan D was the most important failure, yet the least important motive for me to not drink: it never brought me closer to God and never helped me realize what an amazing God I have. All plans failed.... time to abort the mission!
Lord, forgive me for my self-righteousness. May I pray more, love You more, seek You more, and speak about You more. Thank you for the gift of wine, ale, beer, and whatever others names their are for it. You have created it and what you created is good. You say in your word in Psalm 104:15 that you have made wine to make man's heart glad. May I rejoice in You and in Your creation and may I learn the truth behind this scripture! In Jesus Name, AMEN!
