by Marilynn Chadwick

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." Proverbs 20:1

A good friend once noticed I didn't order wine at a meal. She asked me whether I ever drank alcohol. Interesting question for a pastor's wife and one I've been asked before. Back in the seventies I attended a large Southern university. I was active in sorority and fraternity life. I attended my share of parties and had occasions to drink. In those days, I didn't even believe in God. So, I obviously didn't look to him for guidance about behaviors like drinking.

But near the end of college, I had a radical conversion to Christ while reading Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, the famous Oxford scholar and former atheist himself. Everything changed. Soon after, I met and married my husband, David.

We will soon celebrate 48 years of marriage. Over the years in ministry together, we have both come to the conclusion that it's better that we do not drink in public, so as not to put a stumbling block in front of someone who may struggle with alcohol.

It's not that moderate drinking is immoral. Or even wrong. But here's the thing: I want to be alert to hear God's voice. I know this might sound silly. But I want to remain mindful of those little nudges to pray for someone. Aware of the Holy Spirit's guidance, or conviction, or instruction. I especially want to hear his whisper—that still small voice that's so easy to miss.

I find even one glass of wine can dull my "spiritual hearing." Moreover, the Bible tells me that as a believer in Jesus, I have an enemy. He continually prowls around looking for someone to devour. As long as I live on earth, I'm at war. It was George Washington who once said, "To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace."

One of the best ways to prepare for our spiritual war is to remain alert to the wiles of the enemy. The Bible says it this way: "Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 AMP).

I want to win my spiritual battles. To hear what the Lord wants to reveal. In short, I want to stay fully awake. For me, I've come to believe it's not wise to use wine as my method to deal with worry, stress, or anxiety. For those, I think I'll choose to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).