When does Drinking Become a Problem for Christians?
A friend of mine quit drinking a few months ago.
He didn’t have a rock-bottom experience. His wife wasn’t angry at him. And he wasn’t about to lose a job. He simply took stock of the costs and benefits of drinking and decided the costs outweighed the benefits.
He told me he felt better physically than he had in years. He was also more alert and productive at work and at home.
If you are a Christian, you may wonder if your drinking—or the drinking of a friend—has become a problem.
People who are curious about drinking and faith may ask themselves this:
“When should I stop or cut down on drinking”?
Although everyone is different, this article will provide you with some ideas about when it might be time to consider quitting or cutting down on drinking.
When is even a little is too much?
There are times when any amount of alcohol can be too much. The National Institute of Health suggests that no amount of alcohol is safe if you are
Taking medications that interact with alcohol
Managing a medical condition that can be made worse by drinking
Under the age of 21, the minimum legal drinking age in the United States
Recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) or unable to control the amount you drink
Pregnant or might be pregnant
Our bodies and our health are gifts from God. It is not wise to do things that harm our bodies and put our health in jeopardy.
While alcohol itself is a blessing, those of us who have abused alcohol may not be able to drink at safe levels again.
When might drinking start to become risky?
Drinking is risky— and the more you drink, the more you put yourself at risk for chronic health conditions, physical injuries and accidents, and even legal problems. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism gives the following guidelines. They define heavy drinking as
For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week
For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week
There is no drink limit specified in the Bible. However, these guidelines may be helpful to you as you consider
More information about when you might need to quit or cut down?
The A.U.D.I.T. is a short online screening that can give you excellent feedback on your drinking. It takes only a few minutes to answer the questions, and you will get detailed suggestions and advice about your drinking. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SCREENING.
The screening will ask you the following questions
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
2. How many standard drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when drinking?
3. How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
4. During the past year, how often have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?
5. During the past year, how often have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?
6. During the past year, how often have you needed a drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?
7. During the past year, how often have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
8. During the past year, how often have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?
9. Have you or someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
10. Has a relative or friend, doctor or other health worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?
It’s up to you
The ideas above are only suggestions. As a Christian, you have the freedom to drink.
And you have the responsibility to be sure that your drinking is not harmful to you, your body, your relationships, or your witness.
Who can best decide when it is time to quit or cut down? You, your pastor or trusted Christian mentor, and your doctor are the best persons to help you make a decision regarding when to stop drinking.
Christians can differ in their comfort with drinking. However, you should never go against your conscience.
If you are interested in exploring the effects of drinking in your life from a Christian perspective check out this article.
You can also get a list of faith-based online meetings to explore the effects of drinking in your life by clicking the button below.
