Stairway to Heaven – Part 2

“HOLD MY BEER” has been the start of a great many failures of man and viral videos of stupidity of humankind. It’s been put on shirts and bumper stickers and applauded as comedic ridiculousness and tales to be told. 

And it’s not wrong. 

There is something about alcohol that emboldens people to become or do something they ARE NOT or WOULD NOT be or do others normally. 

I’m sure you have seen some of these play out around you, or perhaps been part of some of them personally, or at least watched a YouTube video that is this scene. 

But WHY? What makes these moments a thing? 

Well, we know that alcohol desensitizes the brain’s ability to think clearly and process fully. We know that alcohol breaks down standard boundaries and impairs the reasoning part of the brain. So, what happens is that the human brain is tricked into a false sense of courage where there shouldn’t be. Dumb replaces discernment. 

While I know that most often, people speak to a sense of discouragement as despondency, downheartedness, or even depression, I wonder about this less common train of thought. 

The flaming arrow of the enemy can work a lot like inebriation in our spiritual lives.

When we take on a false sense of confidence in ourselves, we stop relying on God. The prefix dis means the opposite of and so with this word we have the opposite of courage. And courage in ourselves is really not courage at all, it’s stupidity and really just another ‘hold my beer’ moment in the making. 

Jesus teaches that gaining new life, saving ourselves (being born again, born of the spirit) is IMPOSSIBLE with human effort and not even something money can buy. And yet we try tirelessly, spending millions of dollars on live-forever schemes, make-us-younger and anti-aging products, and full-satisfaction efforts to no avail, being left wanting more (and possibly broke)! 

Jesus goes on to say that something this grand, of this magnitude, is ONLY possible with God. (Matt 19:16-26)

Paul says it like this, “I tried on my own but I have failed, and I’ve found out that when I’m weak, then I’m strong because I’m no longer trying to do it on my own.” (1 Cor 12:10)

Sometimes the flaming arrow of discouragement is breaking you down and causing you to lose hope. I get that and acknowledge that. I also want you to know that God is the God of hope; He owns it. He IS it! So, you can trust that.

But often, discouragement comes in the form of masquerading AS courage when in reality it’s a façade and will be another reel in the “Hold My Beer” account!

If you’re tired of doing it yourself and coming up empty, then give that up, and take up the shield of faith to extinguish that lie right now! That is why it’s the faith shield that will work because you are NO LONGER just relying on yourself, but believing in God! 

Put down the intoxicating drink of SELF and replace it with a cup of the power and promise of Jesus Christ! 

I leave you with the words God told Joshua when he called him to something greater than himself, “BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS!” (Joshua 1:9) Walk through the door of courage today!

#DontDrinkDiscouragement
#StairwayToHeaven
#RestoringWholenessOfLife 

Brett