Ben Jack on God, alcohol and Christmas

I used to have a DJ residency in a bar where I lived. 3 out of 4 Friday nights I would entertain a room full of drunken dancers, pretending to myself that at least some of them were impressed by my DJ skills (they weren't, they were too drunk).

There's something incredibly strange about being one of the few sober people in a room of 'happy' dancers. For a start you get to see some insanely strange dancing, which under normal circumstances would surely be illegal. More than that though, you can sometimes start to think that everyone is involved in a really great party, which you haven't been invited to. People look so free when they've knocked a few back. Have you ever heard anyone referred to as 'more fun after a few drinks'? After all it's not often the sober one at an evening with alcohol is remembered as the life and soul of the party.

In August 2007 I decided to give up alcohol for a year. You might ask why? Did I have a problem? Was this some sort of overtly spiritual obligation? Was my dancing that bad? Why would I choose to give up something that I actually really enjoy?

The answer in this case was discipline. DISCIPLINE I hear you cry! We get enough of that at school or college, at home, at work! That may be true, but this is a different kind of discipline. This is the kind of discipline that dares to say 'God, you are more important than me'.

I didn't have a 'problem' with alcohol (or dancing thank you very much!), and I certainly do not condone getting drunk at all. Nor did I experience the voice of God from a burning beer keg telling me to put an end to my drinking days!

To set the scene more fully, I was just about to begin my new job with Cross Rhythms Teesside and I knew that it was going to be a real challenge. I looked at my life and decided that a few things needed to change. I needed to be more organized (I'm working on it.) And I needed a little bit more discipline in my life. Discipline that would lead to less of me, and more of God in my life. Giving up alcohol for a year seemed like something that could be challenging and sacrificial. It could have just as easily been chocolate I guess, or television. But then again, maybe God chose alcohol for a very good reason after all.

Christmas is my favorite time of year (apart from the cold, but apparently we get that in the summer now too), and I always look forward to the festivities. During my yearlong drinking break, it was Christmas when I missed a little drink the most. Strange how this relatively small lifestyle change impacted one of the most significant moments of my year as a Christian. Funny thing is, every time I went to get a soft drink, it was a little reminder of what I was doing, and more importantly why and who I was doing it for. For the rest of that year, every time I was in a bar, or at a house party it was a conversation starter, leading to some of the best God centered conversations I had all year! God certainly knows me! By honoring him in this discipline he honored me by giving me incredible opportunities for conversation and witness. In all the times I have ever been in a bar with a beer, I have never been so frequently asked the questions I was asked without one!

Let me take this opportunity to say that God is NOT a spoil sport or party pooper! God wants us to enjoy life, and enjoy it to the full! Having made us however, he knows how we work best. He knows what is good for us, and like any parent must set the guides for their childs welfare. If God tells you getting drunk is a bad idea, it's the same principle as the Apple Corporation telling you your iPod will stop working if you throw it in a fire. They made it, they know it. Its not rocket science really. Being responsible for our own behavior however, is part of the freedom that we have in life. It is of course one of the easiest things to abuse! (stop blaming your brother for everything!)

As we head into Christmas this year, why not think of your own life, and the areas where maybe you need to be more disciplined. Perhaps you do have a bit of a problem with drinking too much with your mates. This Christmas, challenge yourself to think about your actions and what they say about you, and more importantly if you have accepted God into your life, what they say about him. Honor God with your actions and he will honor you, it is one of the greatest promises in the Bible. Waking up on Christmas morning with the reality of this promise in your life will be a better Christmas present than a hangover, and it will last as long as you live it.

I'm living in the reality that one day I will be at the best party I will ever go to, and it will never end. And who will be the life and soul of that party?