Spilt Wine

I did a little Bible reading this morning and while looking up some references in the Bible with the word “sober”, I came across these.

Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
-1 Corinthians 15:34

This verse is so true with whom I have become over the last few years. Of course, I haven’t had much of a sober mind over the last 5 years. I had the knowledge of God, and yet during these last 5 years, I ignored Him, withdrew and abandoned my personal relationship with Him. Paul is so right; to have such a gift in salvation and grace, to ignore it is truly a shame.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
-Romans 12:3

Wow, that one cuts a little deep. In many ways I became a modern day Pharisee. I withdrew from a personal relationship with Christ, yet I held myself in high esteem because of all of the books I had read and continued to read about God. I felt my knowledge about God was sufficient for my salvation, as if I had arrived and there was no need for me to continue to grow spiritually. I truly had a spiritual arrogance about me, which was not very humble at all. Someone one once said to me that a lot of people read a lot of books, but few read “The Book”. I was one of those people. I was reading everything but my Bible.

Thanks to A.A. and my refreshed relationship with God, who has delivered from the bondage of my obsession with alcohol, I am now able to think of myself with sober judgment. As I as work the steps of my recovery, I will have to continually look at myself with sober judgment and take a personal inventory and then ask God to take away my many defects, which I am gladly handing over to him.