Here’s One Landmine Any Leader Can Avoid

Warning: This article may contain material offensive to some readers

When my friend, Chuck Colson of Watergate infamy, spoke before a crowd of Dutch Americans, he sometimes shared the story of his conversion in prison—and that his evangelists had instructed him to give up cigarettes and alcohol.

So he quit.

DRINKING CAN BE FUN(NY)

“But when I first visited Grand Rapids,” he’d continue, ”and noticed it was O.K. for Reformed Christians to drink and smoke, the thought may have crossed my mind whether I had converted to the wrong church!” That would bring the house down.

An older joke goes that you should never go fishing with only one Baptist. Why? Because he may drink all your beer. Presumably, good Baptists don’t drink, except in the closet.

In contrast, many good Presbyterian and Reformed Christians relish their consent to sensible consumption. After all, Jesus’ first miracle produced a TOP-SHELF wedding wine. A sacred text teaches not only that God created wine “to make the heart happy” but also that spirits have medicinal value. And “all things are lawful unto me, but not all things are expedient,” claimed St. Paul.

Of course, just about everyone discourages drunkenness. But we probably have no divine right to judge people who choose to drink moderately. So please don’t misconstrue the intent of this piece.

HERE’S THE RUB

Having said that, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures also suggest the bottle may be be detrimental to leadership development even if moderately permitted for the masses. Red lights flash especially for kings who imbibe in hard liquor or even, wine. The reason inferred is that red eyes may mess with your filter and leaders have mega-decisions to make.

Admittedly, whether “kings” comprise leaders today is open for spirited debate. Still, can it be denied that leadership at any level functions in a realm of influence where decisions count for something?

Credible data reveals that alcohol not only toys with your thinking during usage, but also when you’re not drinking, due to residual effects on brain chemistry. Since your tolerance gradually increases, as often does consumption, incremental alterations go mostly unnoticed.

Yet, I get dizzy counting how many times I’ve heard Christian leaders jest about their “Happy Hours.” In fact, in elite circles, enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvre while working a room full of important people is considered avant-garde. Highly respectable, as long as you don’t overdo it —wherever that line in the sand may be.

So if alcohol has been in your life for awhile, I recognize you might find even an unpretentious proposal for alcohol-free living a bit jarring.

THE SPIRITS CHALLENGE

However, as one committed to being the best leader you can be, what do you have to lose by taking an inconsequential, spirits challenge? Here we go: drink no alcohol for 90 days. That’s it. Not a drop. That’s all.

After the three-month test, conduct a straightforward self-evaluation. Determine which person and leader you like best: the B.A. Leader (Before Abstinence) or the A.A. Leader (After Abstinence).

You might decide you are better fit for duty without alcohol, and content to consign usage to the rank-and-file.

Leadership risks a field of LANDMINES. Booze marks one you can easily avoid before it explodes in your face.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR

Still, you might not be swayed and will conclude that, for now, you and the spirits are getting along just fine. You don’t feel booze is blurring your effectiveness. NO PROBLEM. Take heart—both Luther and Calvin were known to tip a few in their day. So you raise a glass in dignified company.

But, maybe, put a tickler on your calendar for the test next year. Issues have been known to sneak up even on the best, like demons unaware. In the meantime, however, I PROMISE never to throw a wet blanket on your party or fishing trip.

By the way, I’d be remiss not to mention that my colleague, Chuck, did get “Reformed” in his theology, especially as an ardent fan of Abraham Kuyper. But as far as I know—and I could be wrong—he by-passed his Dutch Reformed devotees’ worldview on drinking.

And many considered him quite a leader, filled with the Spirit.

H. David Schuringa

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Copyright (c) 2016 North Star Ministry Consultants, LLC

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