The Sorrows of Alcohol

Proverbs 23:29-35 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? (30) They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. (31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. (32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. (33) Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. (34) Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. (35) They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Here is one of the MANY Bible passages that teaches us the perils of alcohol. In this passage, we read about the Sorrows of Alcohol:

1. The Reminder of the Sorrow Alcohol Causes - 23:29. It causes pain in the body with headaches, body sickness, agonies of the mind, and the torture of your conscience through the sins that it leads you to commit. You do things that you normally wouldn't do, and you say things that you normally wouldn't say. The next day brings sickness and regret.
2. The Reality of the Sorrow Alcohol Causes - 23:30. The reality is that a person does not consume alcohol, but alcohol consumes them. It takes over their personality and takes over their life. Eventually, it is not enough and they need to mix the alcohol and make it stronger. Sin is never enough, and it quickly spirals out of control. Reminds me of the fact that an alcoholic never thinks they will be one when they take that first drink.
3. The Remedy for the Sorrow Alcohol Causes - 23:31. Look not means that you are not in the presence of it, and so then you cannot be tempted with it. The best advice to avoid the pitfalls of alcohol is just to avoid it all together!
4. The Results of the Sorrow Alcohol Causes - 23:32-35. Here, the author of this Proverb paints the "morning after" picture that the alcohol companies WILL NOT show you on their product advertisements. Why in the world would anyone choose to subject themselves to these sorrows? The answer is: SIN!

Instead of trying to figure out some way that it might be okay or acceptable to drink alcohol, lets just take the Principle of the Proverb and avoid the Sorrows of Alcohol.