It is not a sin to drink alcohol, but Scripture never treats it lightly. Alcohol itself is not evil, yet the sinful heart can easily misuse it. Too often, drinking clouds judgment, weakens self control, damages relationships, and can become a stumbling block to others in their walk with Christ.
As believers, we are called to be sober minded, Spirit filled, and careful not to allow anything to master us. Rather than seeking escape, comfort, or satisfaction in a bottle, we should seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live faithfully in a broken world.
Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise. – Proverbs 20:1
A lot of my friends are strong Christians and don’t drink at all now because of what happened to them in the past. I drink occasionally and some people look down on me for it. I have never been drunk and I don’t put myself in situations that could turn bad. I understand the consequences of alcoholism because my husband had a difficult life because of his addiction. What I don’t understand is why some people go to the extremes and condemn me. Even though my choices are my own, I try to keep my life balanced, and have set strong boundaries, they still look down on me. I can go weeks, even months without a drink with ‘booze’ in it. Yet some Christians are still offended that I may have a drink at special events or just a treat like a little brandy in my egg nog. What about using whiskey in my tea when I’m feeling kinda sick? That shouldn’t automatically put me on the “You’re going to Hell” list.
Totally understand what you are sharing and thank you. I personally got to the point where I was so tired of fighting the conviction. I didn’t care what others said or thought, but when I heard it from God, I decided to take it seriously. What helped me get past drinking was understanding that the Holy Spirit is enough and I didn’t need alcohol to escape.