Alcohol—what a word. It can conjure up so many images in the mind. For some people, the word “alcohol” is associated with relaxation, euphoria, excitement, peace, and joy… For others, it brings up images of dissociation, outbursts of anger, mood swings, depression, anxiety, poor choices, and, worst of all, that terrible grip of control that casts a shadow over an entire life.
Christians worldwide grapple with the issue of alcohol—whether to view it as a blessing or to avoid it as a trap. This is a contentious topic among believers. Christian parents, in particular, must reflect on the role alcohol plays in their lives, since their decisions can influence not only their spiritual journey but also that of their children.
We must begin with what God has said about it. The Bible states that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at his mother’s request. Mary was concerned that the wedding guests had run out of wine and wanted Jesus to address the problem. He gently rebuked her but obeyed her request in accordance with the fourth commandment.
More importantly, Jesus chose wine, not water, as the element in the Lord’s Supper, and said he would not drink it again until that day when he drinks it anew with his disciples in his Father’s kingdom.[1] It is very clear: Jesus drank wine. And the wine in those days was alcoholic. Non-alcoholic grape juice was not created until the 1860s by Dr. Thomas Welch (of Welch’s Grape Juice), through a process of pasteurizing grape juice so that the fermentation was stopped.
Jesus and his disciples were accused of being drunkards, even though they were clearly not.[2] For Jesus, this was because they knew he consumed wine with others.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, wine is portrayed many times in a positive light as a gift, a blessing, and a source of joy. See Amos 9:13, Joel 3:18, Jeremiah 31:12, 1 Timothy 5:23. And it will clearly be in heaven when Jesus drinks it again with us, as he said.
Therefore, it is not wrong for the Christian to receive this gift with praise and thanksgiving.
However, as with all God’s gifts, abuse of it is an entirely different matter.
We are strongly warned against drunkenness many times in the New Testament.
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”[3]
“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”[4]
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”[5]
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”[6]
There are many similar verses throughout the New Testament. Addiction to wine is not just a matter of drunkenness; it is also a matter of idolatry. Alcohol can be highly addictive, and it is easy to become so when you have a general tendency toward addiction. Idolatry occurs when we take something like alcohol and believe we must have it daily, and that it is our source of comfort, peace, and identity; in that case, we have made it into a god. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel you must have it or feel panicky without it, you are likely addicted to it. In that case, repentance and crying out to God for help are the only options left to you as a Christian believer.
Now, as regards parents and alcohol, this is an especially tricky subject. Our children are watching us and noticing what we choose to consume. They are noticing our behaviors and choices. We are setting an example for them in self-control and in faith. Remember that alcohol can be highly addictive for certain personalities and has led many people astray. Therefore, be even more careful about how and when you consume it around your children.
You do not want to set an example for them that later entraps or ensnares them in an addiction. If that were to happen, and you felt you were to blame, it would torment you for the rest of your life. It is not worth being careless about this topic. The boundary you choose to draw about when and how you consume alcohol should be decided on soberly and prayerfully between you and your spouse. Ask God to give you clear guidance and wisdom as you desire to “set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”[7]
[1] Matt 26:29
[2] Matt 11:18, Acts 2:13, Luke 7:34
[3] Ephesians 5:18
[4] 1 Corinthians 5:11
[5] Galatians 5:19-21
[6] Romans 13:13
[7] 1 Tim 4:12
