faith unfaded

I’ve had a few hangovers in my life. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of, and probably one of the reasons I didn’t touch alcohol for nearly 30 years. I never could drink- or do much of anything else in moderation- so a hangover was inevitable if I took that first sip.

I thought I’d try again last year to “drink casually” with the same result. If a little is good, a lot is better. That’s the kryptonitish mindset I fight against. The last time I drank, I had a hangover for three days. It was the LAST time I drank.

No drinking means no hangover, right? You’d think….

But I’ve discovered a hangover that’s worse than an alcohol-fueled one. A spiritual one.

Much like the feeling of being clean and sober is the way your heart and soul feel when you leave everything at the foot of the cross and walk in the Spirit daily. Your steps are lighter, your mind is freer.

But when you take that first drink, or in this case, let in that first bit of anger or hurt or fear, it is hard to stop with just one. You add another and another…until you are completely inebriated with evil. You’ve made your faith of no effect as you begin operating in the flesh.

You’re “drunk” and unable to make good decisions. You “drive” and harm other people.

There’s no excuse for this spiritual drinking and driving. Not illness, not trauma, not someone else’s bad behavior. You are responsible for how you respond and you are accountable for your words and actions.

That hangover can be a killer. You justify this sin leading to further separation from God. You become spiritually bloated and oftentimes physically ill. You no longer find pleasure in little things because of the pounding soul-ache within. You may even reach for cure-alls that are more like poison to an already diseased heart. That hair of the dog is a myth, it will only make your hangover worse.

Your remedy is simply the cross and it’s instantaneous. There are no steps, no waiting period. You lay it down once again, repent for where you’ve gone wrong, and once again be restored to a pure heart and a clean mind.

When you are faithfully following Christ, a spiritual hangover can feel like death. It is separation from your Creator and will only get worse with time.

Pray these words from Psalm 51:10 earnestly with your whole heart:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.