On Abstinence, Counsel, Integrity and Age

“Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling, And whosoever is led astray by it is not wise. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray beard.” (Proverbs 20:1, 5, 7, 19, NKJV).

Abstinence is clearly taught in the Bible, as noted by Proverbs 20:1. Paul, living in a day when pure drinking water was at a premium, wrote: “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities" (I Timothy 5:23). Addiction can slip up subtly. “A little wine” or “a little beer” can cause a person to develop a taste, and then a craving and soon a habit is formed. Another aspect of abstinence is the money it saves. Unfortunately, many babies and children are made to go hungry because a father or mother is addicted. To improve family—and personal—relationships, the way to go is complete abstinence. Then there will be no danger of addiction and the multiple problems it produces.

In our day, we hear much about the need for counseling. There are counselors for weight control, family relationships, addictions, job adjustments, pastoral counseling, financial problems—the list of available counseling is long. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates Proverbs 20:5: “Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.” It is true that sometimes a person needs counseling of one type or another from an outside agency. Depression is a real enemy to persons in our fast-paced society. But if we can form our own system of right and wrong, and determine “the deep water within the heart” and what it needs to be set right, then we can draw from the well of our own resources. Self-help, if one can give it, is quicker than sought help. And standing ready to listen is God of the Ready Ear. He is our ultimate Counselor and Guide.

Integrity is so necessary to good living. The Message Bible renders verse 7 thus: “God-loyal people, living honest lives, make it much easier for their children.” I’ve just enjoyed a large family reunion. At each we are reminded of the legacy we have received from ancestors who worked hard, loved liberty, honored family, obeyed our nation’s laws, and sought to give us a goodly inheritance. Integrity shines forth from their example and it is a characteristic we want to emulate. Remembering them, we can seek to endow this generation with strength, and to honor those who are aged among us, with their “gray beard” and gray hair. From abstinence through good counsel, integrity and age, all can be guided by the Lord and be blessings from Him.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, July 20, 2010