Great advice for all, but especially for leaders, Proverbs 31:1-10
Did you know most Americans are and have always been essentially teetotalers?
Most of the Book of Proverbs is filled with the sayings of King Solomon. Written c. 950 B.C., Proverbs 31 mentions King Lemuel, which means “devoted to God.” But there never was a King Lemuel.
It is believed, although we can’t be certain, that Lemuel was the nickname Solomon’s mother Bathsheba gave him when he was a child.
Proverbs 31
1 The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.
2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!
3 Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not rulers to crave strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let strong drink be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
The very same advice is the traditional view of the native American tribes of Mexico — alcohol and marijuana are for the sick, the dying, and the elderly. For everyone else, beware that they dull your competitive edge. Perhaps that’s why popular culture set out to make alcohol and drugs seem “cool” among the young.
That said, some people who crave alcohol beyond all reason may be experiencing something akin to an allergy to alcohol. This could explain why certain families and nations are more susceptible to it than others. A course of traditional Chinese medicine — acupuncture can cure alcoholism from its root.
Did you know that 38% of Americans claim they never use alcohol, but many more, 57%, have not had a single drink in the past year? Traditionally, drinking just hasn’t been on most of our radar screens, even if we don’t think of ourselves as teetotalers.
The Washington Post reported that the top 10% of drinkers over 18 in the US, 24 million Americans, consume half the alcohol consumed in the US, an average of 74 drinks per week, more than 10 per day!
The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
Here’s what I know for sure: people are people and deserve respect as human beings and fellow travelers on this planet, no matter what, no matter what. It’s the only way to have peace.*