Day 3
Lisa Scheffler, author
So far this week we’ve looked at statistics that show drug and alcohol abuse is on the rise in America, then we read the Bible’s warning against such abuse. For the rest of the week, we’re going to consider some possible reasons why people turn to the idols of drugs and alcohol.
Alcohol has long been a part of celebrations. Archaeologists have discovered a remote, ancient site in modern-day Turkey that’s older than Stonehenge. There’s no evidence that people lived or farmed there, but they did discover brewing vats and images of dancing.
While the Bible consistently forbids drunkenness, alcohol appears at celebrations in the Bible as well. For example, at a wedding feast, Jesus turned water into wine when the host ran out. Wine is portrayed as a good gift of God in Proverbs, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (3:9–10).
Celebrating with alcohol isn’t new, but when researchers look at the increased use of alcohol in America, it’s not social drinking that’s on the rise; it’s people drinking alone. That’s what has them worried. The reasons people give for drinking alone are boredom, loneliness, and to relieve stress and anxiety. According to researchers, it’s this kind of drinking that tends to either reflect or grow into alcoholism.
The false gods of drugs and alcohol can provide temporary feelings of escape, but they offer no solutions to our problems. In fact, they make things worse. Life can be extraordinarily hard, but numbing our painful emotions is a temporary fix. When we learn to take our negative emotions to God in worship, we discover that he can provide the help and comfort that we are longing for.
Psalm 42 is an honest confession of raw emotion from someone going through a painful trial. Notice how he stops and counsels himself in how to deal with these overwhelming emotions.
Read
Psalm 42
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Ask Yourself
- How would you describe the emotions the psalmist is wrestling with? Do you ever experience those kinds of emotions? How do you respond to them?
- What question does he ask himself in response to others asking, “where is your God?” What counsel does he give himself?
Reflect
In Psalm 42 we see a range of emotions from someone living in exile who longs to return home. Although this Psalm was written in response to a specific set of historical circumstances, it’s a model for us in dealing with painful trials.
The Psalmist is expressing his feelings of grief, despair, doubt, and frustration, as he longs to return to a time of joy and praise. In a storm of intense feelings, the psalmist describes his pain in physical terms (verse 10), reminding us that emotion is felt in our bodies. He tries interrogating his own feelings. “Why are you downcast? Why are you so disturbed?” Modern science tells us why this is a wise strategy.
Our emotions are reactions to stimuli. In times of intense emotion, our brains have flooded our bodies with chemicals to prompt a response. On their own, feelings are neither positive nor negative. For example, fear is a good thing when you’re under threat and need to be on high alert. It’s our mind’s job to determine if the threat is real.
Naming the emotion and tracing its source allows us to assess our emotion. It also gives our emotions time to dissipate so we can think more clearly. Feelings move in waves, and each wave lasts about 90 seconds if you identify, label, and accept your emotion.[1]
So, like the Psalmist we should ask ourselves questions. “Why am I so upset? And what kind of upset am I? Frustrated, angry, hurt, or disappointed? Do I feel disrespected, dismissed, or abandoned? And why?” Once we work out the source of the emotion, we can find a path forward. We can begin to alter our outlook and find hope, even if the darkest of times.
How does the Psalmist do this? He preaches to himself. “Put your hope in God,” he tells himself, because he believes he will praise him in Jerusalem again. He reminds himself that God is his God and his Savior. The Psalmist trusts in a better future. Why does he have this assurance, despite those who ask, “where is your God?” Because, according to verse 6, he remembers Yahweh’s faithful, enduring love.
Of course, it could just be good poetry, but I like to think that the Psalmist repeats verse 5 because trusting God is a process. It takes effort to get on top of waves of intense feelings when they threaten to wash over us. The bigger the trial, the more reminders we may need that God is worthy of our trust because he is our Savior and our God. He is faithful to his promises, even if everyone around us is doubting his presence. Even if we’re doubting it ourselves.
When we are stressed, anxious, sad, or scared, the false gods of drugs and alcohol may call to us. They’ll promise to help us drown our sorrows in a bottle or escape them with a pill. But when the euphoria wears off, each of our problems will be right there waiting — arms crossed, foot tapping — for us to deal with them.
When we take those emotions to God, and interrogate them in light of his truth, we find hope for a better future. We find comfort and peace in the goodness of God and guidance for our lives.
Pray
Take some time to get real with God. If you reach for a drink or a pill bottle when you are lonely, stressed out, anxious, or depressed, then confess that. Ask the Spirit to remind you of his presence when those emotions come. Take them to God and find help and hope in times of need. Pray for the courage to seek help from others. Our re:generation ministry will welcome you.
Talk about it
- Discuss some strategies you use when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, sad, or lonely. What are some healthy ways to deal with those emotions?
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-right-mindset/202004/the-90-second-rule-builds-self-control
