Aiming Straight for our Sons Hearts, part 3 - Speak the Truth, But Don't Lecture - Proverbs 23:21

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags. Proverbs 23:21 (NASB)

Here are the consequences of the sins of drunkenness and gluttony.  The father of these sons has been seeking to aim for their hearts on these issues.  Now he does so by letting them know where these sins will take them in the future.

This dad is not brow-beating his boys as he says this.  If he was, this would not be three verses long - but 1003.  That is the way of the lecture - and most of them are usually ignored.  This wise father takes the time to give his sons a call to wise and a godly heart.  Then he takes a moment to offer them a command of instruction - and follows that up with a warning about the consequences that are coming for those who live such lifestyles.  Then he is quiet.  Having an advanced degree in the art of "Father-Lecturing," I wish that I was wholly unlearned in this area.  I've engaged in lectures that took far too long - and were usually tuned out the moment I began my second (of 53 points).  This dad just puts out the facts - and lets them sit with his son. 

This dad knows that if his sons ignore him - all the additional words in the world will make little to no difference.  They will become the cautionary tale for others through the consequences that come upon them.  As a result, this father wants to make sure his sons know the truth - but that they know it with brevity and a lack of wordiness.  Their hearts will not be turned due to the length of his talks.  They will be changed and turned due to the work of the Holy Spirit as He seeks to teach them and lead them in the truth. 

The heavy drinker and glutton will come to poverty.  This is the first warning and consequence that the dad tells his son.  For a few years in seminary I had the honor of being able to work and preach at the Union Mission in Memphis, Tennessee.  We would serve food to the men - and afterward would take turns bringing a message to them.  After the preaching we would sit with whoever was interested and share with them personally.  While doing this I met numerous men who were in bondage to alcohol.  Many of these men were former executives - some who would still be wearing an expensive suit - as they slept on the streets of Memphis.  Their drunkenness had destroyed their lives.  I remember one man who had previously had an office in a downtown skyscraper.  He told me that just two years ago he was pulling down a six-figure salary, had a beautiful family, and lived in a house worth nearly $350,000.  Due to the sin of drunkenness and an addiction to alcohol - he had lost all of this.  Every month that I read this passage - I usually remember him.  Truly, his sin and brought him to poverty.  The glutton will have the same problems as well.  His poverty though may be an inability to play with his children - or a poverty of respect as others wonder why he has so little self-control.  His poverty may be a lack of self-respect himself - as he struggles with his weight.  I've personally experienced some of these things as I've struggled with gluttony. 

The second thing that happens to those who indulge in these sins is that a drowsiness will come upon them.  It is a drowsiness that will clothe them with rags.  Both of these sins lead to a lack of awareness and also - honestly - a person who has to sleep more.  The drunk has it because he has to sleep off the affects of his drinking.  The glutton experiences it because he is too full - or too overweight to exercise.  The result of that is that he is sleepy all the time.  There are also problems that result from blood sugar levels and other medical conditions that rob the glutton from the alertness that he should have.  These things, if left undealt with long enough, will clothe these men with rags.  They will miss promotions - and some will even lose their jobs. 

The wise father will warn his children of the real consequences of these sins.  He does so - not to be melodramatic.  He even avoids such things.  But he does tell his sons the truth.  His hope is that ultimately such warnings will open their eyes to the problems that lie ahead when these sins are ignored.  The goal of all this is not just that his sons won't be drunks and gluttons.  Too often young people in the church equate Christianity with phrases like, "A Christian doesn't drink, doesn't chew, and doesn't go with girls that do."  This kind of training does more to harm our kids than help them.  It gives them the false idea that if they just steer clear of these evil three sins that they are right with God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In the end we want to win our children's hearts - not just burn a three rule list into their minds.  We want them to be wise - not just in these couple of areas - but in all of life.  Dads - don't get caught in the trap of warning your kids about your list of deadly sins - but not giving them the gospel and good rounded biblical teaching.  We want more than obedience to us in a couple of areas.  We want obedience to God in all of life.  This we will obtain when we aim straight for their hearts - and have as our aim - that they be wise, godly, and Christ-centered.  When we see these things in their hearts - we will know that we've been truly successful!