After much thought, I decided to cheer
myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In
this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during
their brief life in this world. Ecclesiastes 2:3
Does wine really cheer up a person? I come
from a family that had a couple of alcoholics. I remember my maternal
Grandmother saying that her brother was an alcoholic…and we better be careful
about any drinking we did when we grew up. We went to see him in the VA
hospital in Walla Walla when I was about eight…but he just looked like a lonely
sick man in pajamas sitting in the sun. What does an alcoholic look like? My
Dad had to have an “iced tea” every day…but it wasn’t made with a tea bag—it
came out of a whisky or scotch bottle. He had a broken neck during WWII and his
injury caused a lot of pain that was numbed by his iced tea. We just accepted
that…and he was never an abusive alcoholic—so we didn’t consider him to be an
“alcoholic” until much later in life. He certainly wasn’t a wino, although his
iced tea did change his attitude and give him some cheer.
Do we hold onto foolishness while we are
seeking wisdom, like Solomon?
Is one glass of wine just a beverage with a meal
or is it a grasping for cheer or happiness? To some it is more refreshing than
a soda, but Proverbs has other advice. Wine
is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not
wise. Proverbs 20:1 NASB. Intoxicated. That is the key word. The condition
to avoid is that very condition. Those who choose to drink wine as a beverage
will rationalize that they are not becoming intoxicated, they are just enjoying
the fruit of the vine. Or
consider its medicinal properties. No
longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your
stomach and your frequent ailments. 1 Timothy 5:23 NASB. It seems that
that is how some people live. Is it the way to happiness?
 |
| A little glass of Bess' Blackberry wine. |
Prayer
~ Lord Jesus, as we seek wisdom, guide us so that we don’t go down the wrong
path, clutching at foolishness, experiencing happiness that people of the world
find. Let us find our happiness in You…and in pleasing You in all that we
think, say, and do.
© 2016 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT)
unless otherwise noted.
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