It continues to pain me that in this so-called age of enlightenment that men and women continue to destroy themselves and their families’ future with their use of mind and mood altering chemicals and substances.
Some illnesses are preventable but with continued use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin you are guaranteeing yourself a lifetime of unhappiness and an eventual painful death from either sickness or accident. Life is challenging enough as it is so why add more problems to it?
This afternoon I want to ask the women listening if you believe the man in your life is the man you once thought he was or whether his use of any kind of mood and mind altering drugs has altered the perception you once had of him?
And to the men listening do you agree with what many writers are saying of men as they being so irresponsible and selfish that our women have to play the role of both mother and father which leaves their children unprotected and open to different kinds of abuse -while you spend your days shortening your lifespan by drinking, gambling, smoking, and liming on the block?
Proverbs 31:4 “It is not for Kings O Lemuel, It is not for Kings to drink wine”.
What does the word of God say about the relationship man is supposed to have with woman? Genesis 2:18 The lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:22 “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
Man’s major drawback according to some, is his desire to be seen as Macho by his peers; and this is what dictates his attitude and behaviour.
And so boys who would one day become men decide that to be macho they must drink a Beer, take a smoke, pelt one or two cuss, and boast about their conquests. In that honeymoon stage while they can still enjoy one drink alone they feel they could fight a lion and win!
But Proverbs 20: 1: says “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise”.
So soon one beer and one smoke are no longer enough, and they begin to separate themselves from church and God, quite a few descend into drug addiction where their only thought is to feed that addiction, becoming more and more dishonest in the process and very often ending up in jails, institutions or die from diseases of their own making while not yet quite a man.
Christmas is upon us and the Banks invite borrowing while Merchants gleefully eye even the long awaited back pay as drinkers stock up on drinks and eats and on other expensive things that have nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Christ which incidentally, according to one record evolved from the Roman Pagan Harvest Festival Saturnalia, a festival which honoured Saturn the God of sowing. Others point to the birthday of the Sun God Nimrod.
Christmas was only celebrated from the year 336 during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who it is said was the first Christian Emperor and which Pope Julius 1st officially declared would be celebrated on the 25th December.
One Local news article on October 29, 2016 reported “Friend kills friend in drunken argument over politics”. This is just the tip of the iceberg as robberies, domestic abuse and homicides increase around the time of these festivities, as do accidents, and physical ailments such as high blood pressure and other illnesses.
Cancer from Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, more than Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Illegal drug use, Alcohol use, Motor vehicle injuries, and Firearm-related incidents combined.
Some of us love to say that Marijuana is God’s gift to mankind but do you know that besides it being illegal, marijuana use more than doubles a driver’s risk of being in an accident, or that the combination of marijuana and alcohol is worse than either substance alone with respect to driving impairment? And we wonder why there are so many fatal accidents or why driving has become such a nightmare!
Cocaine is also illegal and causes long-term changes in the brain’s reward system, which may lead to addiction.
There are treatment facilities for addiction such as the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Centre at Caura Hospital, and groups such as Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous.
The question now is “Can a man change this attitude and behaviour and play the role he is supposed to play without the use of alcohol and other drugs”?
I say yes he can, but only if he understands and accepts the role he is supposed to play, otherwise treatment for addiction would be meaningless and he would suffer countless relapses.
So what therefore man is man's role in the home and community:
Priest -where he is supposed to minister to his household.
Provider- in ensuring his family has food, clothing and shelter.
Protector- in keeping his family safe from internal and external threats.
Advocate- in making intercessions on their behalf.
Lover- “A Man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh”.
Companion- “for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part”.
Parent- to train his children in the way they should go so when they grow up they shall not depart from it.
Role Model-to his family and the community.
If you wish to become what the word of God says you can become I recommend you study and follow the Seventh Day Adventist Health Message and that you keep these words close to your heart.
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.
In closing let me leave you with a simple fact and this is “If you do not drink you cannot get drunk".
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