Alcohol and Drugs

Alcohol and Drugs

"Old wine and new deprive my people of understanding." Hosea 4:11b

"Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way. Consort not with winebibbers, nor with those who eat meat to excess; For the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty," Proverbs 23:19-21a

"Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise." Proverbs 20:1

"But these also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, overpowered by wine; Led astray by strong drink, staggering in their visions, tottering when giving judgment." Isaiah 28:7

"For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggresive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temerate, just, holy, and self-controlled.
Titus 1:7-8

"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

"But I now write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, if he is immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a robber, not even to eat with such a person. God will judge those outside. "Purge the evil person from your midst." 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13

"nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 6:10

"And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit," Ephesians 5:18


Do you want to become a statistic in the war on drugs? You better believe that when your lives are controlled by addictions to cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, you are made a slave and those bonds can lead to a life of ruin or even death with the negative effects these substances can have in your life.  The world that we live in today will tell you that to have fun and to be social and to look cool, you have to drink or get high. And then later you may end up as an alcoholic or a crackhead.  Yes, nowadays you can't drive your car, watch TV, or turn on your radio without somehow seeing and hearing how the world glamorizes the use of alcohol and drugs. 

But how does God feel about these substances?  The fact is that you are commanded by God to live a life of holiness and you are not showing your love or being a good witness for Christ if such addictions control you, now are you?  How many of you are trying to prove something to your so-called friends and fit in with them instead of following God's warning to not abuse these substances that alter your behavior and damage your mind?  Don't you want to be used by God? How can God use you as a witness to others if you have no self-control, are setting a bad example to others, and are behaving just like the world by drinking and getting high?  God's Word tells us that for us to be used by God, we must be sober and avoid intoxicating substances.  The Devil loves it when you get drunk and use drugs because you are then in no shape to fight against his attacks. He knows that with your inhibitions lowered and your judgment gone, you will sin and get into things that you would have avoided had you been sober.

Smoking is an uncool, costly and smelly habit. Why throw your money away on tobacco when you could use that money for clothes or computer games?  Smoking makes your skin look older, your teeth yellow and your breath, clothes and hair stink.  Most people know that smoking is bad for them and want to quit but find it hard because of the nicotine ingredient. The tar in cigarettes can cause serious health problems like lung cancer. Are you aware that the nicotine in cigarettes can be more addictive than illegal drugs and the tar in marijuana can be four times more dangerous than tobacco smoke?  Yes, cigarettes can be a gateway to stronger, more hardcore drugs.

Underage drinking can set you up for a lifetime of trouble because it causes long lasting changes to your developing brain. When of age, drinking itself is not a sin but abusing  alcohol is because you no longer have power over yourself.   Not only do you lose control of your ability to think clearly, but did you know that drinking alcohol can cause you to become argumentative, act violently, engage in risky behaviors and drive recklessly?  It can even go as far as causing the breakdown of families. In fact, illegal drinking and driving causes over half of all road accidents. Did you also know that heavy drinking can lead to liver damage, ulcers, malnourishment, cancer and that it kills brain cells?  Don’t you think as a Catholic Christian, you should be strong enough and avoid drinking too much (not consuming alcohol above your tolerance level) and not get into the party scene? When you first go away to college, peer pressure can be heavy because you want to fit in. Our culture tells you that drinking is fun, that people who drink are social and attractive, and you even may see the allure of partying with how the young celebrities behave and how movies portray it. Do you really want to live in such a messed up reality?

If you are a smart, sensible person, you will never even try cigarettes and illegal drugs because of their addictive and harmful nature. Drugs are indeed people wreckers. These substances affect so many of your loved ones if you become a user because they see the damage that it causes you. Drugs don't make you more social, more creative or a cooler person. Those substances only steal your health, cloud your mind, make you a danger to others, and lead you farther from God.  They only create money problems, the inability to do well in school or hold down a job, and even lead to an overdose resulting in death.  There are many users who even have committed crimes against their neighbors and friends because they had to get some money for a quick fix.

Do you know why a lot of people drink and do drugs? They do it to try to escape their lives, improve their mood and confidence, medicate themselves when they are feeling stress or pain and in times of celebration, make them more outgoing and forget all their worries. But these substances will only weaken your common sense and give you a false sense of security. It makes you feel that you can only experience those things through using these substances. There are a lot of other social interactions that do not revolve around drinking and chemicals such as sports activities or theatrical performances. So live your life without being drunk or getting high. You need to choose this day whom you will serve. You can serve God or you can serve your own fleshly lusts.  And if you choose to serve God, you need to follow His commands. The Holy Spirit is in you and you need to glorify God in your body. That means you should look after your body and not put harmful substances in it at all while treating your body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit.