I'll drink to that

Stephanie,

has had drinks 4 of the 7 days this week. Who am I?!?

I will not lie, I quite enjoy being 21. I enjoy beer and wine and cider and mix drinks. And there's something about the carefreeness of going out for drinks and chatting up a storm because your barriers are down, and being needlessly happy with friends. I have no regrets however, on waiting till I was of legal age to drink. Although I do enjoy alcoholic drinks (and some of the milder after effects), I am still a very big proponent of sober fun. If you need to be intoxicated to enjoy yourself, you're most certainly doing something wrong. And the alcohol is just a change of pace; after 21 years of sober fun, now I'm mixing in some not-so-sober fun. Variety. Both are equally as enjoyable.

I think alcohol is quite a taboo topic in Christian circles - strange to discuss and even stranger in life application. And I constantly struggled with the "rules" on the subject. Where are the lines drawn? Drink only when you're legal? But it depends where you are because the drinking age changes (Europe/Asia/U.S.)? Then what? Drink only in light moderation? Only around other of-age Christians? Not at parties or at bars?

It's all very confusing.

Read this -

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

So stay sober, but also do not sleep.
The interpretation for this should be, be ready for the Lord's coming, and maintain yourself with faith, love, and live in mind of the hope of salvation, at all times. Obviously, being consistently drunken is not condoned in the bible. But these are things I wished people could explain before college, right?

But in all honesty, I think there is an opening of ministry opportunity in this - in alcohol. That's a bold statement, I know. But even Jesus drank wine, eating and drinking with the "tax collectors and sinners". Drinking (theoretically in moderation and within the law), is a part of life, and should be celebrated as so. Take advantages of opportunities when people ask about faith and belief and politics and religion after a drink or two. Granted these are subjects better covered when sober, but there's opportunities to start conversations, at the very least.

But still, stay alert, stay aware, and stay active in your faith. You are still a representation of what a Christian is, and that should not be taken lightly.
Thank God for what He has done, and for all he has created. In all reality, the Gospel is good news at any time of the day. So cheers to that.

Other thoughts anyone?
07.31.16