Opus 2015-169: Monday Pulpit: Sources of Poverty, part 7 of ?, Alcohol and Food

A major source of poverty comes from the misuse of alcohol as a beverage.  I don’t drink but I am also aware that a glass of wine at dinner is not necessarily a sin and should not ruin your life.  I also tend to feel if I never drink the first one, I will never have one too many.  The problem is that there are so many pressures to have just one more that alcohol becomes a major problem.

The Bible reflects this in many places.  Here is just one.

(Proverbs 23:21 KJV)  For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Why would this be true?  First, alcohol is expensive.  It amazes me to sit down in a nice restaurant and see a little display on the table advertising a selection of whiskey.  Some of them cost over twenty dollars, for one small glass.  Ouch.  Double ouch.  Second, the drunk shows up late for work and in no condition to produce.  He calls in sick a lot.  Ultimately he gets fired and poverty is at the door.

As you can see the second thing listed here is gluttony.  If you are obese you should not be criticizing the drunk.  He isn’t in the right but neither are you.  Think of all the physical illness that is linked to being overweight. 

They are not immediate but they are inevitable.

To be continued...