Venting about 'friends'...

[thejdubb02]

I just got home from a party... and no I dont drink or smoke or anything. I made a decision not to do anything like that about two years ago, when the Lord laid it on my heart to make the decision and stick to it. This is not the problem... the problem is my friends.

I went to a party tonight at a friends house (didnt really want to go just hadnt seen my friends in a while). A ton of people I had never seen just started coming over and before too long it go out of control.

It wasnt until tonight that I noticed how strongly alchohol controls people and in my opinion how the evil one uses it against them. It breaks my heart to see my peers and friends be taken over and spun out of control by something they see as harmless fun.

Im not sure why I wanted to write this but I needed someone to understand where I am coming from and I hope some of you do.

And if you sound like one of the people I just explained, I hope that you can rethink what you are getting into... from what I can see, there is more to partying then just fun... there is something much more deeply seeded, and it is far from good.

GOD BLESS,

- Justin

 

[Bamboo_Chicken]

Justin, I know exactly what you mean. I also don't drink (or smoke). I've seen too many families wrecked by alcohol, watched my friends get smashed because they just want to escape from reality. At the last 'party' I went to I had to stop a friend from jumping off a balcony because she was drunk and wanted to end her life. I hate what it does to people and because of that I will never drink.

Be assured - I know exactly what you mean

 

[ForgottenToo]

I too have had a similiar conviction. Thankfully mine is also accompanied by a strong dislike of cigarette smoke and the smell of alcohol. I know what you mean, my uncle died of drug-related issues (an odd combo of alcohol, cigarettes, and possibly pot) and my grandfather about died from lung cancer and heart problems due to all his smoking...
I don't think it's the alcohol that is bad. I think it is the people who are irresponsible. A beer now and then or a glass of wine every once in awhile isn't a sin. The misuse of such substances is.
But honestly, you are NOT alone. You may think you are, but you aren't. There are plenty of people, Christian and not who would agree with you. I certainly do, for the most part!

 

[Apollonian]

I prefer church sponsored root-beer kegers (they really had a keg filled with non-alcoholic root-beer) and listening to some techno... that's all it takes to have a good time.

 

[sjdennis]

I don't drink or smoke either. My family hasn't drunk for about 5 generations. Although a drink or two is not a sin, it is best to avoid it. It is very easy for it to get out of hand. It can certainly take over peoples lives and draw them away from God. In saying that, many Christians do drink and are no less Christians for doing so. The decision not to drink is however, in my opinion, the wisest decision. It's also the cheapest one - alcohol and tobacco are both very expensive! If you're on a tight budget, stop drinking!

 

[intricatic]

I don't care about economy, I don't care about astronomy
But it sure do bother me to see my loved ones turning into puppets,
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend.
- Bob Dylan

 

[peanutbutter12]

Meh, I drink, as there is nothing wrong with it in moderation, and smoke cigars on occasion.

The problem starts when people don't know when to stop.

CJ

 

[AceHero]

There certainly nothing wrong with moderate drinking, as long as you're of the legal age. What I don't understand is that not only do some people drink, but some actually want to get drunk. That's like saying you're trying to get sick.

As for smoking, I have really bad allergies when it comes to smoking. When I went on our senior trip to Hawai'i this year, the hotel said that our suite was non-smoking, but I was coughing like crazy most of the trip. There must have been smoking there at some point in time. It took me about a month for me to get it out of my system.

I'm just glad that I live in a state where smoking is virtually outlawed: no smoking inside and within 25 feet of a public building, including bars.

 

[chemica]

I too don't drink or smoke. I find it very sad to see how drinking = life for most of the people at my school. Sometimes it seems people view me as the crazy one for not smoking or drinking but reading threads like these makes me feel much less alone.

 

[Nautica]

This is why I don't go to my friends weekend partys anymore,the drinking is way out of control right now. I don't want to be a part of it anymore.

 

[illstillglow]

Seeing your good friends being taken over by alcohol and drugs is one of the hardest things a friend experiences. These are your good friends, you know? Your friends you grew up with. You'd never think that they would ever even think about being stupid.

There is a Scripture in the Bible that says, "Bad company corrupts good behavior," so you have to be very careful with the friends you pick. This is what I did, and I'm not saying at all that you must do this, but I decided I didn't want to be friends with people who got drunk or smoked, or even had sex before marriage. I didn't want to be in that bad company, you know? All you can do is pray for your friends.

 

[KillerV]

I drink and smoke a cigar occasionally, you just need to know your limit. But I agree with the above poster, pick your friends wisely. ppl influence no matter how strong of a christian you are.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

\
There is a Scripture in the Bible that says, "Bad company corrupts good behavior," so you have to be very careful with the friends you pick. This is what I did, and I'm not saying at all that you must do this, but I decided I didn't want to be friends with people who got drunk or smoked, or even had sex before marriage. I didn't want to be in that bad company, you know? All you can do is pray for your friends.

Yeah, just be sure that the behavior is really an issue for them before you dis your friendship. I've lost more than one on rumors about drinking problems far after they were no longer problems. Same one for sex.

Anyway, I can say that watching your friends make poor decisions is hard but I feel compelled to stick to them to make sure they are not going that route with no exit. The last party I went to I saw my friend of 13 years almost destroy her marriage. I was able to talk to her and she and her hsuband worked through their drunk words. I was also the one who almost risked a 3 year relationship and my safety one night while drunk in a foreign country. Thankfully a friend of mine was keeping an eye on me. A male friend at that who stepped in and pretended to be my boyfriend for the night but was really just playing body guard.

It is a risky road and props to you for having conviction just be sure to be there if your friends need a solid clear mind to talk to at some point.

 

[Silver Speak]

I hate what it does to people and because of that I will never drink.

Hear hear I've never really understood the point in drinking; why do you have to lose control of yourself? It seems to me that you're not very comfortable with yourself if you feel the need of having a boost to turn yourself into something you're not. I know I'm never the life of the party but I'm fine with that -that's just not me and why should it be?

I do like to have an occasional drink here and there but I have a firm limit. I've never been notably drunk and if that means I'm a goody goody so be it. I don't need to prove anything to anyone.