It’s such a joy to help people find their freedom from addiction to drinking alcohol.
Alcohol is not the power many people believe it to be. It has no mind to control behavior. It cannot force itself upon a person. It cannot attract attention or hold thought in a stupor. Alcohol is mindless, and it does not control mind. It is not superior to mind. Mind governs the thoughts and actions of man, not a bottle of booze taken down from the shelf.
However, to the person caught in the mesmerism of believing alcohol has power, it can seem like alcohol is controlling their behavior. But it never is. Every individual is a thinking child of God who can make intelligent decisions that keep their thought sober and clear.
Any feeling of emptiness, loneliness, fear or anger within that a person tries to fill or suppress with alcohol, is crying out for spiritual inspiration. And God is the source of the inspiration that is going to give that person true happiness.
Spiritual inspiration comes through prayer which opens thought to the divine influence. Anyone can pray. The simplest of prayers is heard by God, and will be answered. No matter how hopeless a person feels, a sincere short prayer can be a step in the right direction that empowers them to walk away from alcohol and find spiritual peace.
Mary Baker Eddy shared some helpful ideas on conquering an appetite for alcohol. She wrote,
“There is no enjoyment in getting drunk, in becoming a fool or an object of loathing; but there is a very sharp remembrance of it, a suffering inconceivably terrible to man’s self-respect”
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 406.
“Let the slave of wrong desire learn the lessons of Christian Science, and he will get the better of that desire, and ascend a degree in the scale of health, happiness, and existence” Science and Health p. 407.
“If man is not victorious over the passions, they crush out happiness, health, and manhood. Here Christian Science is the sovereign panacea, giving strength to the weakness of mortal mind, — strength from the immortal and omnipotent Mind, — and lifting humanity above itself into purer desires, even into spiritual power and good-will to man” Science and Health, p. 407.
Christian Science is about finding our happiness, life and reason for existence in God. Spiritual living and spiritual mindedness are the paths to successful living and the happiest existence possible.
Alcohol is not the power it appears to be. It can be left behind and replaced with something much better—the joy and inspiration that come from knowing God.
Drink the wine of spiritual inspiration. It has a far better effect than any drink from a bottle.
I know for many young people, alcohol can seem to be much as you describe it here Evan and that can be a difficult error to see through.
I am grateful to you for taking the time to look so compassionately and spiritually at this global issue.
Your thoughts, penned here for us, have given meat to the bones of my personal prayers, the citations are just perfect ♡
So grateful for this.
I am grateful for Christian Science as alcohol never was a problem for me. I did drink occasionally to appease my husband as he was an alcoholic and to save pain if I didn’t. Then after the divorce it was to appease others to have an occasional drink. But it never appealed to me then one day I had an allergic reaction to any type of alcohol. Which was totally fine for me on one hand to appease others edging me on to drink but on the other hand it was an answer to my prayers because I didn’t want to drink but then I realized through prayer I did not need to appease anyone. If I didn’t want to drink that was my choice to not drink and not have it in my foods etc. Grateful to God and Christian Science.
Thank you Evan for sharing this topic and grateful to remember my testimony on this.
Thank you for addressing a widely held issue. I thought the truths expressed could also be applied to smoking. But, aside from the social issues, could also be applied to any long standing health belief. Thank you Evan. Every SpiritView, issue, taken whole heartedly, is a “treatment” for the world.
I think this is an important issue to be addressed in light of the toll alcohol and drugs seem to be having on so many. I think Evan nails it on the head when he says that loneliness, hurt, anger, emptiness and even looking for social acceptance are the real problems that need to be addressed and can be healed through Christian Science. God supplies all the good we need and fills up the empty places with His infinite Love.
“Love is the liberator.” SH 225:21
Also can be applied to the “dis-ease” of food addiction. Food can be (ab)used to salve sorrow, anger, frustration, loneliness. Understanding our relationship to our dear (true) Father-Mother God provides real satisfaction! We can “accept the glorious liberty of the children of God and be free.”
Yes Kirsten, you are right as this weeks lesson says “Love is the liberator”, thank you for reminding.
Thank you Evan for today`s topic, and that`s a good idea, let`s drink the wine of spiritual inspiration, that makes us followers of Christ Jesus.
I am grateful for the awareness I had last year when my nephew gave me as a birthday present a bottle of liqueur, I in former times loved to have a very little glas in the evening, when others might have a piece of chocolate. My nephew knew that.
But when he gave itto me I said thank you and took it, but said also to him, I don`t want it anymore in future. I noticed that I lost the longing also for only one small glas in the evening. Later I threw that bottle away – now you can laugh.
But I know the reason why I did not have the slightest longing for it anymore. Since years I am working in several positions in my branchchurch. And if you serve God in his church you are blessed with healing of every needed kind. Within the years I forgot about the little glas liqueur in the evening, instead I studied more in CS magazins and MBE`s literature, and that satisfied me most.
Like Evan says in today`s SV: Alcohol is not the power it appears to be. It can be left behind and replaced with something much better – the joy and inspiration that comes from knowing God – how extremely satisfying is that!
Thank you Evan for the loving thoughts and truths you give us every day in your wonderful blessing blog!
Thank you all dear commenters for your inspired comments! 😉
I have used “pain & disease” instead of “alcohol” in Evan’s idea for today as very helpful too.
I attribute Christian Science to the healing I experienced almost 20 years ago on my Alcohol consumption. Thank you Evan for this excellent article which could also include any mind altering substance.
In Mis. Page 288:26 – 289:6 Mrs. Eddy explains about strong drink being its slightest abuse.
Hi C.O.G or whatever is your nice name, thank you for those passages you mention. For Christian Scientists these passages are very important if they want really practise CS.
These passages from Mis. p.288/289 are just that what I ment with my experience of drinking a very little in the evening. When I realized that the longing is completely banished, I knew that that is a healing; and only now I am obedient to Mrs. Eddy`s demand of temperance.
Am very grateful for Christian Science, for it makes us really a better human being, yes more, it transforms our life totally to understand our Spirituality more.
C.O’G,
I agree with Mrs Eddy. Although I have never had an alcoholic beverage, I have been around others that have. Although it appears to be fun from a distance, the truth is that alcohol is used as a mask for someone to excuse evil – to pretend it was the alcohol that did the act or had the intelligence to do evil or that they can not remember the evil due to the alcohol. Once Pandora’s box is opened, it can be hard to close as once evil acts are excused and continued, shame and loathing can gain a foothold and cause one a desire to escape an uncomfortable reality – facing those acts which the doer knows are inexcusable. It takes a great deal of moral courage to face reality and turn their life around and I have a great deal of respect for those who do it. If you think a little alcohol is not harmful, I encourage you to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or an Al-Anon meeting. You will hear real life stories of people who are struggling with alcohol. I imagine all of those people wish they had never taken that first drink.
Al-Anon is for people who live around those who consume alcohol and they also have stories, many are painful stories, as they watch their loved ones struggle with alcohol.
That history can be overcome because it is not their true being or their true history. God defines their true being. Alcohol is just another false label on man that needs to be stripped away to see the real man.
I wanted to share one more quote. 🙂
“Man is properly self-governed only when he is guided rightly and governed by his Maker, divine Truth and Love.”
SH 106:9
Didn’t Jesus drink wine?
He did a bit, I believe, but you have to understand the context also. If anyone was free of the senses, and sensual indulgence, it was Jesus. Wine was such a customary part of festivities, everybody did it, I understand. Also, wine could be very poor, very weak. But the important point isn’t the wine, so much as dominion over the body, over mind, over one’s actions and thoughts. Jesus did teach absolute dominion over those, and for most people, drinking alcohol, impairs the senses, blurs judgments and turns power over to alcohol, and can lead to devastating consequences in one’s life. I find it best to simply stay away from temptation in the first place and live a life of dominion.
“Evil (alcohol) is but the counterpoise of nothingness” SH 367:30-2 I can not be deceived into seeing it in another. Thanks for your help yesterday.