May 25
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” (23: 29– 35)
ROCK BOTTOM.
The drunk is a staple of comedies. “They hit me . . . but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it!” But addiction is a tragedy. The delirium tremens (23: 33), the injuries from falls and fights (23: 29) are depicted here in sad detail. All addicts start with just one drink, so how can any drinker avoid the trap?
When wine becomes more than a good food but something one gazes at and lingers over for its qualities, it has become almost sexual in its allure. Drink (or any other food) can become a deep consolation, a way to find relief from anxiety. The insatiable need sharpens over time, but the addict is helpless. “When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” Overcoming addiction is never simple and takes a lifetime. But St. Paul was right when he pointed to the ultimate consolation we need. “Do not get drunk on wine. . . . Instead be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5: 18). Being filled with the Spirit means seeing Christ vividly and joyfully (John 15: 26, 16: 14). That is the joy that makes it possible to cast other consolations aside.
Q. Addiction can take many forms. What do you do to handle stress, anxiety, and unhappiness?
Prayer:
Lord, let me take my woes and sorrows to you— not to food and drink, not to sexual release, not to video games, not to late-night viewing. “Here of life the fountain flows; here is balm for all our woes.” 121 Amen.
Keller, Timothy; Keller, Kathy. God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs (Kindle Locations 2727-2744). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.