Another Drink?

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

Proverbs 20:1

He stumbled, lurched left, lurched right, and then, just as the light was about to turn red, he wandered into the crossing and on across the busy street. At first, as I watched him move, seemingly without purpose as he stumbled and shuffled slowly across, I thought he was suffering the effects of old age or perhaps a physical deformity that caused him to move so. But then I saw it – not even disguised in a brown paper sack – an aluminum can with one of those much-advertised labels indicating that the contents came from some famous brewery. No wonder he couldn’t walk straight; he was drunk.

For centuries, people have pushed and touted alcoholic beverages. In our own age of bright and flashy electronic media and slick magazine presentations, beer, wine and hard liquor all get dressed up and presented as society’s best citizens. “Drink this one,” says the upscale magazine ad for some “velvet” liquor, “and you’ll be sophisticated and prosperous.” “Looking for a companion with a perfect body?” asks the very large billboard, as it presents the newest “light” beer, certain that you’ll make the connection between its product and “sexual” satisfaction. And who could miss the implied promises of prowess and accomplishment in the sponsorship of television sports broadcasts by every beer maker in (and out of) the country. But I can’t get out of my mind the picture of the drunk trying to cross the street; you know, he barely made it without being run over by an impatient driver.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. "They struck me," you will say, "but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink."

Proverbs 23:29-35

The Wise Man, king of Israel and writer of many proverbs, paints a picture that all the clever advertising in the world can’t cover over – alcoholic beverages make a mess of peoples’ lives. Check the police reports, the court dockets, the autopsy records, the shelters for battered women and children, the emergency rooms and any other place where humans reveal their suffering and you’ll find a common thread – much of it was caused by alcohol consumption. It’s not pretty, it’s not flashy, and it’s not slick. And it is all the product of one of Satan’s best lies.

Don’t believe the lie. Don’t spread it around. Don’t reach for that drink. And don’t help anyone else reach for it, either.

Bobby Wheat

Influence

You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

It is a fairly common observation that, after several years of marriage, a husband and wife will tend to act and think like one another. It’s even possible for one or both to abandon radically different points of view in favor of a shift toward “middle ground” in political, economic or moral thinking. That’s not really surprising. In fact, it would be more surprising if, after twenty or thirty years of intimate association, neither partner had made any changes in thought, attitude or speech. We expect for one partner to have some influence on the other, for each person to be influenced by that intimate relationship.

Christianity is about influence. Those who are in Christ have been influenced by him to bring thoughts, actions and speech into conformity with his lifestyle. In turn, each Christian expects to somehow influence the lives of those living around him, anticipating a change for the better in his circle of influence. To be involved in the process of influencing others is, for the Christian, both a privilege and an obligation.

When Jesus spoke of salt and light during the “Sermon on the Mount,” he was drawing his listeners’ thoughts to the process of influence. Salt affects flavor, purges undesirable things from the system, and even acts as a preservative. Light radiates into the night, pushing away darkness and providing information and direction; without it, ignorance prevails and people are left to stumble along, never finding their way through life. That is influence! And Jesus, speaking to his followers, said, “You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Jesus expects his followers to be involved in the process of positive influence, giving flavor to the world and providing light to drive away ignorance of him and his word.

Interestingly, Jesus also warned about negative influence that would affect his followers and drive them off course, ruining their own influence. Matthew tells us about Jesus warning his disciples concerning the “leaven” of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Leaven provides influence, causing bread to rise before it is baked, lightening the texture and changing the flavor of that most basic of foods. Jesus’ disciples at first misunderstood his words about leaven, thinking that he spoke literally about bread. They finally came to understand that, by speaking of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus spoke about their teaching, a negative influence that should be avoided (Matthew 16:6-12). Paul, the Apostle, also using the image of leaven in a lump of dough, warned the Corinthian and Galatian Christians not to be influenced by false teaching that would certainly lead them astray (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9).

The kind of positive influence of which we speak doesn’t occur by accident. It is the product of hours, days, weeks and years spent in developing the mindset of Christ (Philippians 2:5). It is the result of a decision to influence rather than be influenced. It comes to those who have truly died to themselves and allowed Christ to live in their place (Galatians 2:20).

So, how are you influencing the people in your world?

Bobby Wheat

Something Different...

My sister and her family live in Shanghai, China. She works for a very large electronics manufacturer (the one based in the wonderful state mentioned in previous posts), and she occassionally sends us these "pictures" of life in China. Here's one she just sent - a wonderful reminder that we take so many things for granted in our very comfortable USA. ("Ash" is short for Ashley, my neice; Nick is my brother-in-law...)

Oh, got another scooter story.... This weekend (on the way home from buying Ash some reading glasses) we saw a guy pass us on a scooter much like Nick's. He had 3 crates on the back that had to be holding about 30 live ducks and on his little "floor board" (for lack of better term) he had 10 live ones corralled between his legs with nothing holding them in place. ~ 40 ducks on a scooter - I'm sure he was smelling nice! Unbelievable - they must have been on their way to slaughter. And we wonder why avian flu is spreading.....