Contributed by Abbey Thangiah • Aug 25, 2026

I had the privilege to attend an interfaith seminar on alcohol and addiction management that explored diverse religious perspectives from Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Panelists discussed unique theological stances, scriptural warnings, and a shared moral duty regarding intoxication. Ultimately, the dialogue highlighted a vital, collective call for greater mindfulness, personal agency, and proactive community action. I think it is also no coincidence that Pr Chris briefly mentioned intoxication during his sermon.

The tension between human avoidance and divine invitation is a stark reality. We are called to an urgent, spiritual awakening that demands we face our lives today, yet we frequently seek the comfortable numbness of the status quo. Whether we rely on physical intoxicants to blur our judgment or use the psychological delay of “tomorrow” to avoid repentance, both are methods of hiding from the necessary demolition of our old selves

The call to “rend your heart and not your garments” mirrors the raw discipline of capturing life exactly as it appears. While we often attempt to mask our spiritual condition with religious filters for public consumption, God rejects these curated, post-processed personas. He desires the unedited soul, where the light of His grace can touch the sensor without obstruction. This necessary demolition does not seek our destruction; rather, it tears down decaying, artificial facades to establish a firm, new framework for restoration.

It pains my heart to see friends fall into intoxication to the point that they start to question thier faith. The “Day of the Lord” serves as a divine warning shot, demanding that we wake up today rather than believing the devil’s favorite lie of “tomorrow”. Intoxication and procrastination fundamentally clash with urgency because they act as sedatives. While God is urgently blowing the trumpet to awaken us to the reality of our condition, we often use substances or distractions to actively dull our senses and mute His alarm. A sober, alert mind is necessary to recognize spiritual danger and act responsibly. Intoxication sets the mind to a “spiritual coma” replacing the Holy Spirit for spirits you can find in the “non-halal” section.

We often try to avoid our brokenness with God by focusing on the positives of our lives and counting our earthly blessings. What an oxymoron. Sometimes we use the very so-called blessings of God to replace or avoid the true God Himself. When the structures of our lives begin to crack, our instinct is to numb the discomfort rather than allow the necessary renovation. The clash is between seeking the temporary, destructive relief of a habit that eventually “bites like a snake” and submitting to the painful, yet ultimately healing, demolition that prepares us to receive God’s new wine.

Although I thank God I am not intoxicated, there was a time where I was at a peak stress moment at work. I would be so stressed at work that I had to return to painkillers because my slip disc’s sharp pains came back. I used to organize dinners at a mamak for a group of travellers in Couchsurfing. The only time these pain relaxes is when I join these groups of people and also party with them after dinner. I realized that all these activities are a cover and cannot replace the true brokenness in my heart because the pain will return the next morning. I think I take my slip disc pains as my “alarm”. The other time that these pains really heal is during CG and church. My Cell Group has always been my spiritual spine because we keep each other in check and this spiritual discipline is a good reminder to constantly align ourselves to God’s return and surrender to Him.

Relying on artificial coping strategies acts as a hollow imitation of genuine surrender. Rather than submitting to the Holy Spirit, we mistakenly transfer our agency to habits or substances This represents a conflict between competing masters: yielding to these mechanisms only fractures our community and depletes our moral liberty, whereas a true surrender to the Lord facilitates the total release of our history and the promised restoration for every season consumed by the locusts.

Let us continue to pray for each other so that we recognise our brokenness, and our urgency to surrender to him “NOW” .