Don’t Let Pleasure Replace The Good Life

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NKJV)

“Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 5: 17-18 NLT)

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him…hands that shed innocent blood…” (Proverbs 6: 16-17 BSB abbreviated)

High School here I come! I signed up for band, choir, and college prep classes and was set for a great High School experience.. Wait, what is this I was being introduced to? Waiting in line on a Friday night after the football game to go inside for music, lights, dancing, laughing, fun…. What’s that? You want me to get out of line for a minute and take a walk? OK. Alcohol, cigarettes, girls? OK. Welcome to my first High School dance.

My High School career was a great academic success (honor roll, national honors society, etc.). My speaking and music skills were going places (forensics speaking awards, state champion debater, honors bands, McDonalds All American High School Band, etc.). However, little by little my focus moved away from my relationship with Jesus. By the time I graduated I had perfected the art of living a double life filled with academia by day and parties by night. With my Bible on a shelf, and my heart fixed on education and pleasure, my “relationship” quickly deteriorated into “religion.” It was from this facade of High School success that this “most likely to succeed” type of guy went off to Eastern Michigan University on a President’s Award for music, and an eager anticipation of the “freedom” of dorm life.

It is amazing how easily I was deceived. Many things will bring great fun for a season, but only a few things will last for a lifetime, even less for eternity. 1978 was the year of the movie Animal House. That movie was being lived full throttle at Eastern Michigan University in Putnam Hall (freshman dorm) complete with toga parties, excessive drinking, free flowing drugs, sex, and absolutely no enforced rules to be found. This young man was in the thick of it. As a freshman, dating a junior (able to legally purchase alcohol) who was living the same double life, the somewhat controlled party life of High School was now completely out of control. The President’s Award scholarship required a 3.5 grade point average which was not achieved due to the continual late nights and missed classes. (even though I skated to a 3.23 GPA by carefully selecting my classes). After a year of parties it was time to head home and face the fact that returning to Eastern Michigan University was not going to happen. However, this “man with a plan” was able to create “Plan B” by bartering my High School success in debate and land a full ride to Jackson Community College on a Debate Scholarship. This was a very successful year of debating. I was awarded the first place speaker award in the Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League consisting of most of the colleges and universities in Michigan (U of M, MSU, WMU, CMU, etc.). Along with first place speaker awards at a number of debate tournaments, the year culminated in achieving a second place finish in the National Collegiate Debate Tournament. Simultaneously, this was another year of late night parties and missed classes resulting in the loss of another scholarship.

On another front, the false reality created by sex and alcohol led to my becoming engaged to a woman that I did not love. When we were drinking we were best of friends and deeply involved physically. However, when we were sober we fought continually. This relationship ended badly, when during one of our most severe fights ever, I was shockingly informed that I had created a baby that early in pregnancy was aborted. At that point we knew this would never work so we went our separate ways.

It is now 1980 and this “most likely to succeed” kind of guy was anything but successful. I was depressed, alone, a college drop out working a minimum wage job, feeling like my future was now a thing of the past. Afraid to open up with my family, and too ashamed to reach out to the Lord, I tried to hide how crushed I was on the inside . This led to alcohol no longer being just for recreation, but devolving into my chosen medication for pain relief. So there I was, only 20 years old and already to the point of giving up. Now what?

Come back tomorrow…