I’ve debated for a while about sharing my opinion on this subject.  The reason is that there seems to be two very established camps on it.  One says, “Never touch alcohol!  It’s devil pee!”  (I exaggerate.)  The other says, “Hey, Jesus drank wine.  It’s OK as long as you don’t get drunk.” as they stagger to the fridge to finish off that six-pack.  (Again, exaggerating.)

I’m not writing this to say that believers who drink are sinning, or Christians who don’t drink should loosen up.  My issue is with relevance.

There seems to be a misunderstanding about what it means to be relevant.  Webster’s dictionary describes relevance as relating to the matter at hand, practical and social applicability, and the ability to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user.  Somehow the meaning has changed in church culture.  We’ve turned relevance into a subcultural fashion.  It’s become about what we wear, what kind of music we listen to, and a “whatever” attitude about “old fashioned” values.  If I listen to bands you’ve never heard of, read authors who only bash the church, get fresh ink every quarter, and drink socially then I must be relevant.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but those things don’t make you relevant.  (And yes, I know what an old codger I sound like.)

That brings me back to drinking.  There’s a popular belief (even by people I highly respect) that refusing an alcoholic beverage from a seeker is a huge turn-off.  That having a beer together communicates how accepting we are and may even open a door for us to lead them to Christ.  That by not having a drink, we’re irrelevant.  I strongly disagree with that.

For one thing, not all unbelievers are drinkers.  When they refuse a beer, I’m sure their friends aren’t thinking, “What a jerk!  He thinks he’s better than us.”

Many people just don’t drink and there’s no religious reason behind it (myself included).  There are plenty of reasons why I don’t drink.  Here are a few…

1. I don’t like the taste.  Seriously, like furniture polish.

2. It’s too dang expensive.  $9.49 for a six-pack of Samuel Adams?  What the heck?  $24.99 for a bottle of Bailey’s?  I can think of hundreds of things I’d rather spend my money on.

3. I find it difficult to associate with a product that can be so destructive.  I’ve seen it destroy homes, wreck healthy bodies, and take lives.  (I know, food can do that too, but no one has ever been killed by a full driver.)

Secondly, I’ve heard many great stories of how people came to Christ and not once was it mentioned how meaningful it was when believers shared a drink with them.  In fact, I’ve had the great honor of leading many people to Jesus without ever sharing a beer with them.

What I want to say is this: If you don’t drink, it’s OK! You’re not irrelevant.  You’re not turning people off (and if you are, maybe you should evaluate your overall attitude).  It’s alright if abstinence is a value to you.  There’s nothing wrong with you.  You’re not “old fashioned”, legalistic, or a pharisee.

Be free NOT to drink!

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We decided to visit my parents for Thanksgiving this year.  Something we haven’t done for years.  It’s fun to have everyone pile into the folks house, raid the cupboards, lay around, and laugh about whatever.  For some reason, it’s actually easy to forget about all stress and responsibility of ministry, bills, and business while I’m here.

This morning I woke up to the smell of a very large turkey in the oven and the mere smell of that bird cooking made me feel grateful.  We’ve had a tradition of sharing what we’re thankful for around the table for so long that all it takes is the aroma to stir up a sense of gratitude in me.  Take that Pavlov!

The thing about thankfulness is that it’s so good for you!  When we’re really grateful, it’s hard to stay proud because it acknowledges that someone else has met your need.  It’s hard to be bitter when we’re thanking Christ for His forgiveness.  Thanksgiving really does refocus our perspective!  It helps us to think positively and there are a lot of families out there that could benefit from less negativity in their homes!  The more I think about it, the more I just love this holiday!

2nd Corinthians 4:15 tells us that thanksgiving brings glory to God.  What more motivation do we need?  My prayer for you and me is for a thankful heart EVERY DAY.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” – 2nd Corinthians 9:15

I was listening to a sermon my friend posted to his blog the other day.  The preacher mentioned the firefighters and rescue workers who risked their lives running into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks.  I’m sure some of them knew they were going to die in there, but went willingly because a sense of duty drove them.

It was the words “sense of duty” that caught my attention.  I realized that we as believers are sorely lacking a sense of duty.  We seem to want to pick and choose spiritual disciplines, convictions, standards, and amounts we give and serve based on how we feel or claim to be “led”.  I know some who won’t even pray at all unless they “feel led“.

I know what some of you are thinking, “Uh oh, he’s gone all legalistic on us.  We should be motivated by our love for Christ, not a sense of duty!”  You have a great point, however love is not, never has been, and never will be a warm fuzzy feeling that leads us to good deeds to put a smile on Jesus’ face.

I’ll give you an example.  I’ve been married for seventeen years now.  It comes as no surprise that we’re not always walking on cloud nine together.  Sure we share some great moments and those romantic feelings are wonderful when they’re present.  But when they’re not present, I still provide, protect, and care for my wife out of a sense of duty. I do what any good husband should do because I made a commitment to do it when I fell in love with her.  Get it?  We possess a sense of duty BECAUSE we love.

In Genesis chapter 4 God says that refusing to do what’s right (not what we’re “led” to do) is just a baby step away from sin gaining control over us.  Jesus said in Mathew 25 that when we turn our backs on those in need, we turn our backs on Him.  The absolute apathy of so many believers is downright frightening!  To quote Keith Green, “Jesus came to your door, but you left Him out on the street.”

So my question is this: are you the type of person who would run into a burning building to save the lives of others, or would you rather enjoy the fresh air and safety while those inside burn?  We’re guilty as hell if we do nothing.  Think about that the next time you think sharing Jesus, helping the oppressed, and feeding the poor are for those who feel called.

It’s as if so many of us have succumbed to the Bystander Effect.  The case of Kitty Genovese is the most well known example of this effect.  Kitty was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the killing took place for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese’s death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene.  I’m sure all 38 of those people thought, “Someone will help her.”  They were wrong.

Like the rescue workers of 9/11, we have got to develop a sense of duty, an URGENCY to fulfill the great commission and help the downtrodden.  When I stand before God, I want to hear “well done”.  I want to be the kind of person who runs toward danger to rescue the lost and oppressed.  It takes commitment, it’s a sign of love (John 15:13), and it requires a sense of duty.