Drunk

Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good alcoholic drink, but as I’ve got older I’d rather savour the taste of a good cider with friends than throwing it down my neck. Back in Freshers, the aim of a night out was to get completely drunk. The idea of spending money was all aimed on a night out at university. As the years have progressed, I don’t really go on many nights out. Getting drunk and having a hangover the next day doesn’t sound very appealing to me anymore.

For many of us, alcohol seems to be the solution of many problems. The amount of times I’ve heard or seen on social media, “I need a stiff drink after that,” or the act of having a full bottle of wine after a bad day at work, is not uncommon. Many, including myself in the past, have had a drink to take pain away, putting hope in a bottle rather than Jesus Himself.

A few weeks ago, was the Christian holiday of Pentecost. And for those who don’t know what happens on this day, it is a celebration of the Holy Spirit filling a room with a strong wind. When that strong wind had come, all the people in the room saw tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues and languages, just as the Spirit enabled them. The Holy Spirit is an amazing being and its really hard to explain, as it is the most indescribable thing to ever happen to you. I love Holy Spirit moments. When I speak to my friends who are not Christians, who ask questions, they can get behind Jesus – He is a man, a physical thing; they can sort of get behind there being a God – a divine being guiding you through your life; but when it comes to the Holy Spirit – they’re like “Woah, I’ve got to stop you there!” It’s a concept that many people can’t get there heads around.

Being Drunk On The Spirit

A lot of you are probably thinking right now, so where is this going? What’s the link between bad life decisions of being drunk and the filling of the Holy Spirit? Well, the Bible talks very strongly about this link in Ephesians 5:18:

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)

I find this Bible verse incredible. I feel like this verse is saying that you should feel the same high from the Holy Spirit as you do when you are drunk. Being in a room filled with tons of people, who are each filled with the Holy Spirit is an incredible sight and to someone from the outside looking in, you would presume that everyone is completely drunk. People supposedly speaking gobbledegook (tongues), collapsing on the floor, uncontrollable laughing and crying. I admit I have the gift of tongues, I’ve had it for about 6-7 months now and honestly, it’s so amazing. Personally, I’ve never felt anything that makes you so happy or takes all your pain away than a glass of the Holy Spirit and a bottle of Jesus.

There are parallels between the two; we tend to see being drunk as a bad thing and we really don’t want it to happen to us in church. But here, God want us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and feel the gifts that it can give us. But, compared to alcohol, the Spirit gives you no sickness, doesn’t cause you to make stupid decisions, doesn’t lead to crime and definitely doesn’t give you a hangover the morning after, instead it makes you feel relaxed and helps you to know that the presence of God is always there with you.

There’s always that feeling of alcohol being a want not a need. Instead we should be needing the Holy Spirit not wanting it. We shouldn’t be able to go through our week, without needing God to be with us. For a lot people, alcohol is what they worship, a mini god to them. It’s so easy to get hold of and it’s pretty cheap. But do you know what is easier to find, is completely accessible and absolutely free? The Holy Spirit. There for when you need Him, not as a last resort or a temporary want.

The Holy Spirit – Way Better Than a Cheap Night Out

Don’t Fear, Only Believe