Before I share why I quit drinking again, I should tell you why I quit drinking the first time. In fact, I’ll start with why I started drinking in the first place. Let me start by saying that this is not meant to judge anyone who drinks. God has impressed heavily upon my heart to share this story of my life because the reasons why I quit may give someone struggling with any addiction the push they need to fulfill their purpose that is God’s intention for their life.
I began drinking when I was 16 years old. Although my father did struggle with alcohol, I can’t blame my father because he is not responsible for me picking up my first drink. As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t have condone it because of my age plus I hid it from him and my mom until I was of age to do so.
Growing up around my peers, drinking seemed to be a very normal thing to do. There was a big emphasis on alcohol, drinking excessively and getting drunk was acceptable, common and looked as the fun thing to do.
When I became of legal age and free to drink, I did so in excess to the point that my behavior and actions changed. Alcohol exaggerated whatever my mood, and because I was very rebellious and hot headed, I often exploded when I drank.
As I continued to get older, I used alcohol to self-medicate from my circumstances, whether it was stress, anger, or sadness. I would also use it as a way to celebrate, but again, I often did so in excess.
I came to know Jesus when I was 12 years old in Puerto Rico, but my family moved to the U.S. that same year, and I didn’t stay connected to God which had I stayed connected, I may have been saved all those years of drinking foolishly.
But even when we disconnect from God, he never loses sight of us and many years later, I’d come back to Christ as an adult. I share a little bit on my mental health awareness story that led me back to God HERE.
I was so hungry for the word of God that I devoured almost the entire Bible in months. I received His word wholeheartedly and believed God had called me for something great. I still believe the same for me and all of his children; but in order to do whatever it was I had to turn away from whatever I was depending on outside of Him, especially alcohol.
During that time, the Lord highlighted a number of scriptures to me, and I want to start by sharing Leviticus 10:8-11, where God gives instructions to Aaron for the priests: “8. Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9. ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. If you do, you will die. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. 10. You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. 11. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.’”
I felt impressed upon me a personal conviction to not drink because, after all, I am a royal priesthood according to 1Peter 2:9. At that time I felt like I wanted everyone around me to quit drinking (more on that later).
Other scriptures that stood out to me were Ezekiel 44:21, “The priests must not drink wine before entering the inner courtyard,” and Luke 1:15, “for he (speaking of John the Baptist) will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.” Many might say these scriptures in the Old Testament aren’t for everyone or that the scripture in Luke was just for John the Baptist, but I can’t deny the Holy Spirit conviction I felt; especially after reading Proverbs 20:1 where it states, “Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.” That often described what happened when I drank. I was certainly led astray into unpleasant behaviors and situations.
Because my passion to seek God and my desire to obey Him were strong at that time, and still are don’t get me wrong, the spirit in me had heard enough of what I needed to do.
I turned away from many things, and alcohol was at the top. I was encouraged even more by the church I was attending at that time because they often preached of the destructive consequences from drinking. I committed myself to God and to being sober and did not touch a drink for about 10 years. However, I became quite legalistic about the matter because I felt that everyone needed to quit or should never start, and that caused some strained relationships.
Today, I feel differently about it, and I can understand that not everyone feels the way I did because everyone of us is on an individual relationship with God and convictions are personal.
Some people need to separate themselves from their weakness completely. As a matter of fact, the “me” then needed to separate herself. Except that my desire to quit caused me to look down on those who drank, and God’s word says that pride comes before the fall in Proverbs 16:18.
Suddenly one day, I drank a glass of wine, and that opened a door that led me to continue drinking for about seven years. During those seven years, I found many scriptures to justify my drinking.
You might know those scriptures! I’m choosing not to share them because while I’m not judging anyone who drinks, I’m also not here to encourage it, rather this is for those of us who have and unhealthy relationship with with this substance.
During that drinking spell, I was functioning somewhat well. I wasn’t out partying like the first time around, but I was certainly drinking in excess or too often to the point that I began to not behave my best again, like the times I drank before I came back to Christ.
I started to use alcohol for medicinal purposes again like calming a cough, to help me sleep, to wind down after a long or stressful day, as well as for celebrations and even romantic nights with my husband. Many times I was drinking alone, not just with my husband or with friends around me. The problem this time was that I’d end up feeling too tired or just drinking too much that it was physically and mentally uncomfortable.
Even so, I tried to negotiate with God to justify my drinking by pointing out the scriptures that supported drinking, but each time I did, He would highlight OTHER scriptures showing me why it wasn’t good, for me.
I tried to ignore those scriptures for a time, but they rang so true in my life that I could no longer deny them. One of those was Proverbs 31:5 which says, “For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed.” I certainly did forget the law of the Lord and those things I should’ve been obeying.
Another verse was Hosea 4:11 which says, “Wine has robbed my people of their understanding.” This was a tough one to swallow because wine was robbing me of my own understanding, but I was blinded and finding any and every excuse to deny it.
Wine was affecting my life because it was paralyzing me from constructively working towards the pursuit of goals, dreams, and desires that I not only wanted, but that I felt called to fulfill for my purpose in the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:18 says, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,” and Titus 1:7 says, “A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.”
These scriptures were convicting me this second time around, but I was still stubbornly suppressing those convictions with the lies that these words were not meant for me, I don’t have to apply these. I can drink. Jesus drank!
However, even beyond my personal convictions, from a practical and realistic perspective, I was waking up super tired the next day. It was such a snowball effect because every night there was some stress to drink away when I could have gone to God instead.
Drinking also led me to overeating. There were times when it was a nightly thing. While I was cooking, before I knew it, I’d eat more than I should have, then I’d drink even more, then eat even more to the point that now I was giving in to gluttony, and I was loathing myself for it.
My time was wasting away between food and alcohol. I was more concerned with getting home for a drink than I was to pursue my dreams.
But because God never leaves us, rather as a gentlemen would, He waits for us, He used that our church would encourage a fast in the beginning of 2023 to nudge me once again.
It was for this fast that someone I know told me they had decided to fast alcohol for 21 days. I hadn’t even thought about fasting at all, but I had been having a love hate relationship with alcohol. So, when I was told about the alcohol fast, the Holy Spirit moved me and I jumped on the opportunity to fast from it as well.
During this fast, the Lord began to remind me of those scriptures that helped me in the past, and I hadn’t imagined that they would encourage me to not touch alcohol again.
I began to see the negative effects alcohol has on me and own up to the fact that drinking is not for me. Drinking had become a nightly habit robbing me of my precious and limited time. It was robbing me from doing a number of things the Lord had placed in my heart, and especially spending time with God!
When the 21 days was up, I decided that I wouldn’t drink again, and this time, I understood that there are people that don’t share my same convictions and can have a drink or even two. I’m not affected by others drinking, although I don’t prefer to be around drunkenness because we do become fools when we get drunk, but my abstaining from drinking is in no way suggesting that no one could have a drink.
Another scripture God showed me during the fast is that everything is good but not everything is good for me. Some people can tolerate having a drink or two without having to do it everyday… others like me, don’t stop at two or tend to do it everyday.
So, if you drink, this is no judgement towards you…I did say that perhaps my reasons for quitting this time might encourage someone reading this to reflect on their own habits.
I respect and love myself more for being able to recognize that this substance is just not good for me and keeps me from living the way God intended. I want to fulfill dreams and desires, to fulfill my purpose with faith filled intention in God and hope and pray nothing keeps you from fulfilling yours as well.
Again, maybe its not drinking for you, but whatever it is could be numbing insecurities like alcohol was doing to me. This is your chance to be freed and face these insecurities head on as well. You can allow God to help you become strong and courageous through Christ.
I made a mental list of pros and cons, and maybe you want to do the same and to ask yourself:
What would you be doing with your time if you didn’t do that thing, whatever it is?
Bring that list to God in prayer, and let him lead you in the way that you should go.
I hope this story blesses you in some way. If you enjoyed this, we’d love your support by watching the YouTube video at Influence For Purpose or HERE and sharing with someone who might benefit from it. You can also support us by subscribing to the channel, and we hope to see you next time.
God bless your day!
All quoted scriptures on this blog are from the Wycliffe Bible (1395) translation.
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