Over the years, baseball and addiction have sadly often walked in tandem. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, steroids, women, attention…the list goes on. Somehow, we remain seemingly shocked when a human player does human things, unlike the heroes we often make them out to be. We forget that we, too, are prone to unwise use of the same substances.
Proverbs 20:1–“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.”
Sometimes the Bible just states the obvious. Alcohol, or any mind-altering substance, promises one thing and then often delivers another. To be intoxicated by them is “not wise.”
It’s not wise because it takes you farther than you want to go.
It’s not wise because it makes you think you’re filling a gap in your life.
It’s not wise because it will turn on you–it’s a “mocker” and a “brawler”.
It’s not wise because the friends it brings are often superficial.
It’s not wise because you can’t take back the words and actions it brings out.
A few questions to consider when it comes to our potential addictions:
What’s missing that I think this will compensate for? Love? Acceptance? Friends? Happiness? (Hint: addictive substances, whatever they may be, have eventual diminishing returns…it takes more each time to make us feel the same way we did before).
Am I willing to lay this down if I believe it’s hurting my walk with God? No? It’s an idol.
Do I believe I’ll never be “one of those people” who can’t quit? If so, I’m probably already hooked.
Is what I’m doing part of God’s best for me…is it helping me? If not, maybe it’s time to consider a different path.
God isn’t out to ruin our fun; he’s out to protect us from ourselves and provide for us the blessings that only obedience to him can bring.
Lord Jesus, I give my desires for things like alcohol, tobacco, girls, and attention to you. Show me how to live the way you want me to in those areas. Amen.
