Alcohol, Drugs, and Teenagers

Q: What about substances in the world and God? Biblically, I know that we, as Christians, are supposed to lead by example and that we are to always be in our “right/sober” mind. But why is this? If I am responsible with my actions and don’t put myself or others in danger, why is this so bad? I know in the bible it says to obey the law of the land in all aspects unless it goes against the morals of Christianity. Of course under-age drinking and smoking marijuana are both against the law. But I don’t understand how the government can allow me to choose who is going to be the next leader of our country but they won’t let me go out and have a beer or hang out in my house and smoke a plan (sic) that grows in the dirt. I understand that the majority of people under the drinking age would not be responsible after drinking and some people may not be responsible after smoking marijuana, but how is it right to put these restrictions on me and judge me without even knowing me? I pray; I spend time with God and I am trying to do so more often. I also know that it says in 1 Peter 4:7 to be sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer. But I think this is pointed more toward clearing our minds for prayer and to not be distracted. I have prayed after drinking and I have prayed after smoking. My prayer is sometimes more sincere after smoking than it is sober.

I am not trying to justify under-age beer drinking and pot smoking. I am trying to educate myself on things that I have been taught were wrong but I don’t quite have an understanding of why they are wrong. Is it ignorant for me to continue these things and even think that they might be able to be okay with God or is it ignorant for others to believe what they have been told to believe without doing any research?

A: You have a lot of questions to contend with here: drinking, obedience to authorities, drugs, etc. I will do my best to cover all of them.


First of all, if you consider the government to be inconsistent with laws doesn't give you license to pick and choose which ones you want to obey. For a while I have had a difficult time with the fact that out government sends 18 year-olds to war but won't let them buy a beer. But, these are the laws that the authorities have put into place, and the Bible - as you pointed out - is pretty clear that we need to obey those authorities. So while I agree with you that there are inconsistencies there, obedience is still required on our part. I don't like that the IRS comes knocking every year, but it doesn't mean I don't have to pay my taxes (doggone it!).

But why are they against the law? You asked: I understand that the majority of people under the drinking age would not be responsible after drinking and some people may not be responsible after smoking marijuana, but how is it right to put these restrictions on me and judge me without even knowing me? It is ridiculous to expect the government to go out and survey each individual to find out what they can and can not handle, which it sounds like you are advocating by saying that they need to know you before putting restrictions on you. What the government tries to do is make laws to protect the individuals in that jurisdiction. They are looking out for the greater good. And the fact of the matter is that alcohol and drugs do affect the majority of people, and oftentimes in harmful ways. You started with the premise that you are responsible with your actions and don't put yourself and others in danger. That is a faulty premise because when you start drinking/doing drugs, you become less and less responsible with your actions. Your judgments are affected by the drugs in your system. So while you might feel like you are starting out responsibly, your responsibility decreases.

A side story: I have alcoholism in my family. Do you think my family members went out and said, "Hmmm, I think I'll become an alcoholic/drug addict. That would be cool."? Of course not. They started out 'drinking responsibly,' but as they went along, their responsibility went down in a hurry.

Another thing to take into consideration is your stage of life. As a teenager, a few things are true of your development. First, your brain is still developing. Your frontal lobes, which control self-control and judgment, are still developing and will be until your mid-20's. This says that a teenager doesn't make the best judgment calls (like choosing to drink or do drugs because it's not hurting anyone). That could be part of the reason for the laws as we have them. And second, because it is still developing, the teenage brain is more susceptible to the negative affects of alcohol, particularly on memory and learning. Studies have shown negative cognitive effects in those who have used/abused alcohol, even weeks after they have stopped using. Maybe the law is there and the command from God is there to protect you (and your brain).

The Bible does talk a lot about being sober-minded and self controlled. As a matter of fact, drunkenness and self-control are for all intents and purposes contrasted in Galatians 5 in the discussion of the acts of the sinful nature (drunkenness) and the fruit of the Spirit (self-control). I could go into exposition on each of the verses in the Bible that cover drunkenness/soberness/self-control. But rather than do that, I will try to summarize with a question that I think can be derived from many of the verses: Which would you prefer to be controlled by, the alcohol/drugs or the Holy Spirit? That seems to be the distinction made throughout Scripture.