Guilt

[Carmelite101]

Hello,

I nurse about 2-3 drinks of wine almost every night, sometimes I’ll go a day or 2 without. I’ll do it at home and I won’t drive. I’m not sure if it’s the wine that I’m addicted to or just a lack of temperance. For example if I get a 12 pack of mountain dew I’ll drink most of it or eat a whole bag of beef jerky. It’s more or less a recent development but I am wondering if how sinful it is to give in to that craving to have some wine almost every night.

I have been praying to St. Ignatius of Loyola & Mary about this. I never drink alcohol & I keep away from snacking during lent, so I know I can go without…it’s just…why don’t I?

 

[Lutheranteach]

I am not sure you have a real issue there. IF it bothers you, try not buying the wine.

 

[StrawberryJam]

If we feel guilty, we feel it because it does not feel right to us somehow.

You alone know why this does not feel right to you. You know you never needed to do this before now, right? So what has changed in your circumstances and other factors are what you should be examining.

Why don’t you pray to Jesus? His first miracle was wine.

 

[Carmelite101]

If we feel guilty, we feel it because it does not feel right to us somehow.

You alone know why this does not feel right to you. You know you never needed to do this before now, right? So what has changed in your circumstances and other factors are what you should be examining.

Why don’t you pray to Jesus? His first miracle was wine.

Although you might think that I alone knows why it doesn’t feel right to me, I’m really not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s the addictive nature of alcohol & I don’t want to be in bondage to sin. But is only having a few drinks a night sinful?

Thank you for your suggesion to pray to Jesus. I have been so focused on intercessory prayers that a good devotional to Jesus’s sacred heart will do me good.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Although you might think that I alone knows why it doesn’t feel right to me, I’m really not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s the addictive nature of alcohol & I don’t want to be in bondage to sin. But is only having a few drinks a night sinful?

Thank you for your suggesion to pray to Jesus. I have been so focused on intercessory prayers that a good devotional to Jesus’s sacred heart will do me good.

Without going to far into this, you do know your own circumstances and life changes and did not do this before. You can examine, as painful as it may be to do so, what factors changed in your life. Don’t do it if you don’t really desire to find a root cause.

Yes, abuse of anything can be dangerous.

Anything.

To ask if your few drinks a night is a sin, is really not something I can answer.

But, you are troubled by this to ask. And, you know why you are troubled by it.

You really need to read the bible about how your body is a temple.

Jesus, is the new Temple in your theology I read. But, you are his body. That is a big deal if you ask me.

 

[Eucharisted]

Addiction to wine is not a sin. Drunkenness is a sin and gluttony is a sin, but not addiction to wine. Speak with a priest.

 

[Carmelite101]

Addiction to wine is not a sin. Drunkenness is a sin and gluttony is a sin, but not addiction to wine. Speak with a priest.

So addiction is not the same as gluttony or drunkenness? This is my struggle. I do plan on speaking to our pastor and thank you for your advice.

Thanks to all who can relate & for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[Hiskid1973]

One thing to realize is that when we commit our self to Christ we become a new creation…But that still leaves our flesh nature in tact to battle…Self control becomes a big issue now, for it wars against the flesh…Drunkenness, gluttony are over doing it…Sugar/caffeine high from soda…It’s all about bringing your spirit to override the flesh…This is in spiritual and natural areas of our lives…We all battle with overcoming to the flesh as we all have weak area’s…Look into why you are doing it… Ask the Lord for help in what to start with and for help during temptation…Start small and work up as little victories lead to larger ones…Remember your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, do your best to take care of it in all areas…I know some who smoke and they want to quit to get healthy…It is a MAJOR struggle for them but they are pressing in and depending on Jesus help to overcome…He is ready to help you mature in your walk, waiting for you to ask…May the Lord bless you and help you to be an over comer…peace to you…kim

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Look up what "temperance means…

BTW Read up about the difference between condemnation and conviction by the Holy Spirit…
One is what satan smears you with and one is used to bring about maturity in our walk…

 

[Carmelite101]

An excellent reflection. Thank you.

 

[Hiskid1973]

So addiction is not the same as gluttony or drunkenness? This is my struggle. I do plan on speaking to our pastor and thank you for your advice.

Thanks to all who can relate & for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Addiction is a total lack of self control…The body is a slave…There are many things we can be addicted too! Alcohol, sugar, food, cigarettes, sex ect…

 

[Reuben_J]

Hello,

I nurse about 2-3 drinks of wine almost every night, sometimes I’ll go a day or 2 without. I’ll do it at home and I won’t drive. I’m not sure if it’s the wine that I’m addicted to or just a lack of temperance. For example if I get a 12 pack of mountain dew I’ll drink most of it or eat a whole bag of beef jerky. It’s more or less a recent development but I am wondering if how sinful it is to give in to that craving to have some wine almost every night.

I have been praying to St. Ignatius of Loyola & Mary about this. I never drink alcohol & I keep away from snacking during lent, so I know I can go without…it’s just…why don’t I?

Hi. The craving is not a sin but to give in, yes. If it once a while occasions it is alright but you are talking of almost every night and quite rightly you are alarmed by it. Any action that becomes a habit does not bode well for us Christians especially if that habit can leads to something that we may regret later on, like addiction. The concept here is if I have Jesus why would I be satisfied by any others? Thus in a way, habit can be our other god – that makes it to be frowned upon.

Having said that I know a priest personally who is a drinker. He drank and later involved with a woman in his small parish. Now he left the priesthood. I am not saying that kind of thing will happen to you; I am merely saying drinking and bad habit do not lead to something good. And if it’s not, then why keep it? Which is what you are trying to tell us here.

Now what to do? Most of it will be common sense. You will know what to do. For starters why not empty all your fridge and corners of the wine. Well, do not buy it; do not bring it home. Next when the desire comes, tell yourself that you have made the decision to stop and you are not going to let some stupid wine to overcome you. Of course in all this, focus on the Lord. Pray while the temptation is nigh. Remember the temptation faced by Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane – his passion and his suffering which eventually led him to say, “Father, take this cup from me!” And yet he knew what he had to do, “ not my will but yours be done”.

You can overcome the habit by the sheer power of Jesus who had experienced the same himself. It may not be wine but nevertheless by underwent all the sufferings, he had taken yours from you. Believe in it and allow the Savior to save you.

I have the feeling that this advice may not be popular because one may ask, what’s wrong with a little wine? For that I leave it to the individual concerned to discern and to make a wise conclusion.

God bless and may you overcome.

 

[StrawberryJam]

An excellent reflection. Thank you.

I wish you the very best

 

[grandfather]

Hello,

I nurse about 2-3 drinks of wine almost every night, sometimes I’ll go a day or 2 without. I’ll do it at home and I won’t drive. I’m not sure if it’s the wine that I’m addicted to or just a lack of temperance. For example if I get a 12 pack of mountain dew I’ll drink most of it or eat a whole bag of beef jerky. It’s more or less a recent development but I am wondering if how sinful it is to give in to that craving to have some wine almost every night.

I have been praying to St. Ignatius of Loyola & Mary about this. I never drink alcohol & I keep away from snacking during lent, so I know I can go without…it’s just…why don’t I?

When Pope John Paul II was bishop in Poland he drank some beer every day. After moving to Rome he switched to wine. It is not sinful if you drink two glasses of wine every evening, assuming they are standard size wine glasses.

Mountain Dew is or can be addicting for some people. I know people who drank a six pack or two a day. The bottling companies and food processors try to identify what the body craves and provide it. They call it the bliss factor and it is a science.

It is possible that you are craving something you nutritionally lack, or that you have a medical condition that makes you crave something. A diabetic craves sugar, the thing that harms him. Gaining self control and having self discipline is a good thing, but you just might be craving something that is either missing from your body and found in minute quantities in the thing you crave, or you have a medical condition that causes the craving.

You should not assume that it is a spiritual problem, or that the craving is sinful. It wouldn’t hurt to speak with a physician.

 

[NoWhereMan]

Hello,

I nurse about 2-3 drinks of wine almost every night, sometimes I’ll go a day or 2 without. I’ll do it at home and I won’t drive. I’m not sure if it’s the wine that I’m addicted to or just a lack of temperance. For example if I get a 12 pack of mountain dew I’ll drink most of it or eat a whole bag of beef jerky. It’s more or less a recent development but I am wondering if how sinful it is to give in to that craving to have some wine almost every night.

I have been praying to St. Ignatius of Loyola & Mary about this. I never drink alcohol & I keep away from snacking during lent, so I know I can go without…it’s just…why don’t I?

Its not wrong to have a little wine everynight, at all. The Priests drink wine every day. We have to get some enjoyment out of life, its bad enuff we beat ourselves up over other Church teachings & rules. A little wine is healthy for you, as long as You don`t get too tipsy & drive

 

[southeast_wisco]

-one motivating quote from sacred scripture may be 2 Cor. 1:4

God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled , we will be able to give hem the same comfort God has given us.

at one point in my life i was a little obsessed with winning in sports. They can bring its own set of problems but i did not have the problems you have as far as alcohol or beef jerky or excessive mountain dew. i wanted to be as fast as i could, as strong as i could, etc. etc.

the above quote is motivating for me to fast somewhat. It is motivating and applicable to fasting & solidarity with one’s neighbors because when a person is a little hungry, I more fully realize that other people are hungry too, other people are much more hungry than i am. so fasting a little and reading 2 cor. 1:4 increases my thanksgiving, increases my desire for solidarity and helps keep me away from excessive food and excessive drink.

This may be applicable to your situation. sin, not sin, mortal sin, venial sin, addiction, habit, where does virtue end, where does vice start, etc. etc. It sounds like God is tugging at your heart to make some changes so possibly meditate on this verse, cut back, make some changes and it may increase your thanksgiving, increase your solidarity, and improve your health if nothing else. Drinking that much mountain dew cannot be good for a person.

i would count 2 cor. 1:4 as one of the top fasting quotes if not the top fasting quote in the holy bible.

 

[louisak]

It is possible that you are craving something you nutritionally lack, or that you have a medical condition that makes you crave something. A diabetic craves sugar, the thing that harms him. Gaining self control and having self discipline is a good thing, but you just might be craving something that is either missing from your body and found in minute quantities in the thing you crave, or you have a medical condition that causes the craving.

You should not assume that it is a spiritual problem, or that the craving is sinful. It wouldn’t hurt to speak with a physician.

A very good observation. I don’t know what wine, Mountain Dew and beef jerky have in common nutritionally, but there could be a medical/dietary issue here.

 

[Lady_Love]

If what you are doing is not negatively affecting you or anyone else then I don’t think there is a problem. But if the Holy Spirit is warning you that maybe drinking the wine is taking a hold on you, then you need to deny yourself. In fact, you can make an offering of your denial for the salvation of souls.

Then when you have sufficiently denied yourself, you can have some wine and praise God saying, “TASTE and see the goodness of the Lord.” with a new appreciation.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

It’s tricky. If it bothers you and causes you anxiety that you do it, then you are in bondage to it.

I think the most effective way to break the bondage, is not to let it govern your happiness. For example if you say I’m miserable with life because I drink and smoke and stay up too late, and if I could only quit then I’d be happy – that’s a fearful thing for my mind to get around. Because what if I quit drinking and smoking, and I weren’t happy? Now I am a failure, right? So I lose either way. If I keep drinking and smoking, {btw I know you aren’t smoking but it makes a better story because I just helped a smoker I know, quit} then I lose because of the original reasons. If I do quit, now I have an ultimatum – be happy, or I fooled myself – which makes me a fool. Could be risky, if I’m wrong about my future happiness.

And if I’m a fool and not OK with that, it can be costly. I’ve heard in survey people fear public speaking more than dying.

So my strategy was to learn how to be totally happy even when doing the thing. That way my happiness is independent of my behavior. I’m happy doing it, and I’ll be even happier if I quit. When I’m happy, my confidence I can become even happier, is higher than my confidence when I’m sad, of becoming happy. So that way, letting go of the behavior doesn’t “turn the spotlight” on me. Does that make sense?

If you are comfortable with it, and you don’t feel like it controls you, then I don’t see any concern about what you’ve written thus far. I like the fact that it isn’t every night, because if it’s every night, then it could be a “feels like it’s necessary” crutch that you don’t want to try going without.

If you trust in the Holy Spirit, and you believe that God makes all things good for those who believe (Rom 8:28) then you can know this behavior will become part of you that God can use. If you keep doing it, just make sure you are 100% comfortable with it, that you pay attention to “pangs” that magnetize you toward it uncontrollably. If you start getting those a lot then it may make it more of a struggle and it may be needed to mortify yourself to them (break bondage).

I have broken free of some things and helped others to from time to time. (Only if they ask for help – I may offer but I will never tell a person they “need” my help because I don’t want them to feel I’m trying to put them in bondage to me.) You don’t sound like you’re addicted from what I’ve read so far, but I am not certified or anything, just have some personal experience.

I like this thread because you have a well-defined issue with a problem that isn’t an emergency or anything, and you have a realistic way to describe the situation so it makes it easy to discuss. Thank you for starting it. :tiphat:

I’ll leave it at that for this post. :tiphat:

Alan