Raise your glass to the sober life, not the somber life.
A Toast to the Sober Life – A game for the sober-minded.
Answers & Scoring – 0 or more needed to be a WINNER
New Year’s Eve -1 or Adam and Eve +1, Bloody Mary -1 or Virgin Mary +1, Fire(ball) shots -1 or Fire and Brimstone +1
BONUS Holy Spirit +3 – if answered correctly, “You have been saved!”
A Toast to the Sober Life, what fun is that?
When I say alcohol, you say?
For me the word alcohol was synonymous with fun. When I made the decision to abstain from alcohol I questioned, “Is it even possible to have fun without alcohol?” My mother-in-law lives her life without partaking the spirits and she appears to have a good time. There must be something to living a sober life, so sober must not be synonymous with somber.
In most of my adult life almost every fun activity included alcohol. As an adult I did not typically use alcohol to free myself of my inhibitions, but for pure entertainment value. Alcohol gave me a temporary reprieve from my daily struggles, allowing me to enjoy the moment, until I crossed the line and became irrational.
A Toast to the Sober Life, New Year, new you!
New Year’s Eve is synonymous with partying. Partying with the majority of the people in my life is synonymous with alcohol. This lifestyle doesn’t necessarily make my friends and family members bad people. So I will not use this platform to condemn alcohol use, simply address alcohol misuse. Alcohol misuse becomes abuse.
When I say New Year’s Eve, you say?
Over the years my husband and I have always celebrated New Year’s Eve with different friend groups, with one common denominator, alcohol. Two years ago was my last alcoholic New Year’s Eve celebration. Meaning alcohol is what kept the party going. On that particular night I made a conscious decision to drink but not get inebriated. That night I witnessed others falling down drunk; alcohol induced behavior causing fights and disrupting relationships; and friends getting behind the wheel while intoxicated and in a fury. I did not have a fun night. As the only sober person it was clear to see alcohol was not the source of the problem, but it was definitely the instigator. It was not the alcohol causing the problems that evening but the people and their behaviors, including their misuse of alcohol.
New Year’s Eve is a holiday which demands everyone to stay up late and as we age the holiday can be tiring for many. For me alcohol was used to keep the party going. As the spirits flow, so does the conversation. When there was a lull in the action a round of Fireball was used to fuel the flames. The solution to combatting alcohol abuse is to be sober-minded.
A toast to the Sober Life, Biblical truths.
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.”
Ecclesiastes 9:7 NIV
Great news! You have permission for merriment which includes alcohol consumption, but only if you are responsible enough to act in a Godly manner. Not to be a buzzkill because we know there is nothing better than getting your buzz on, but as a believer you need to consider death. It is our actions which will dictate our mortality. It is necessary to identify what motivates our behaviors more than the object of our temptations and desire. To be constantly sober-minded, clear as to what drives your need to take that drink.
So while alcohol should be used in moderation and enjoyed, if we are not spiritually grounded alcohol can be weaponized. Following my initial sobriety my husband and I spent endless hours with friends who we at one time engaged in heavy alcohol use. We found it wasn’t the alcohol that produced the fun, but the conversation. So go forth, enjoy your spirits, but remember to embrace your spirituality. Stay sober-minded keeping you grounded, which will result in many blessings for 2023!
Ways to control your drinking for New Year’s Eve https://riahealth.com/blog/sober-new-years-eve/
- Alcohol vs. Friendship No Need To Choose
- Insecurities Rooted in the Soil of Our Past
- The Curator of Your Story
- The Face of the Addict
- More Than Words
As an imperfect human my growth has been spurred on by a life catastrophe, because I chose to ignore my struggles. Instead of choosing to look inward and identify the source of the problem, which was ME, I placed blame on the society around me. The end result was to numb my discomfort and quell my anxieties with that one glass of wine. By the grace of God I was able to seek forgiveness and unearth my flaws. Through sharing with others I was able to accept my flawed self and learn I did not need to suffer alone. The result peace, from a loving God, not the spirit in the bottle.
Leave a Reply