It’s amazing how quickly a drunk guy can ruin a pleasant evening. Last Monday night I went down to Pittsburgh to see The Police in concert – a concert I was eagerly looking forward to. Halfway into the opening act (who happened to be Elvis Costello) a guy sat down directly behind me and began screaming and cheering at ear-shattering levels. I have to confess, my first response was sinful. I wanted to turn around and politely ask him to shut up and sit down. Then I realized that he was about 6′ 4″, 240 lbs, with more muscles in his pinky than I have in my entire body. The fact that he was drunk (at least I think he was) made me even more nervous about any sort of confrontation.
Several other, bolder people did ask him to calm down, but he refused to consider anyone else. He was determined to have a good time at this concert, no matter what the collateral damage.
As the night went on something unusual began to take place in my heart: I began praying for Mr. Loud Drunk. Yes, there were several more times when my sinful heart rose up in colossal irritation. But by God’s grace, I was able to pray for the guy behind me. I prayed that he would come to know Jesus.
Why the change of heart? What prompted me to pray for a drunk guy who seemed intent on ruining everybody’s night? I realized that he couldn’t help himself. I realized that he was a spiritually dead slave of sin. He was blind to his folly, and even delighted in it. He had no spiritual life in him, no reason to consider anybody else, no reason to be sober. The only difference between me and Mr. Drunk is the mercy of God. I would be a loud, obnoxious drunk if it weren’t for divine intervention. For reasons only known to God himself, he reached down and saved me.
Yesterday I read Titus 3:3-5, which says:
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…
I’m so grateful for the goodness and loving kindness of God my Savior. Apart from it I wouldn’t care one bit about anybody else. Now, by his grace, I’m praying for drunkards.
Do you remember when the goodness and loving kindness of God appeared in your life?
+photo by scottfeldstein
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this reminder- this is actually something that I was talking to a friend about yesterday. It is so easy for me to get angry and bitter towards people who mistreat me, but when I know that these people do not know Christ, I shouldn’t be surprised when they sin. Instead of being angry when someone mistreats me, I need to use these as reminders to pray for them. Before God saved me, I had no reason to treat other people kindly or to consider the feelings of others. The people around me are no different than I was.
I needed to read this especially me who is a redheaded hot temper if anything goes wrong! I need to pray more for them to come to know Christ.
I am glad that you are bold to confess this online. Thank you for sharing this with us, believers.
Hungry to eat His Word,
‘Guerite ~ BoldLion
Wendy – I’m with you. It’s so easy to forget that those who don’t know Christ are slaves to their sin, and that I was once a slave to my sin.
Guerite – I’m glad you found it helpful!
That is so helpful. I am three weeks away from my next semester in college and need the reminder. It has been so easy for me, the homeschooler born into a Sovereign Grace Church, to only block out the foul language and obvious enjoyment of sin to protect my own soul. I need to pray for these people created in God’s image so much more than I do. As I have heard from other sources, God saved me from a life of foul language, immorality, drugs, and drunkeness at the age of 5. Without His grace, I would be ruled by my evil passions, too.
interesting day to post this.
and also funny you kept having to remind the readers you saw the police… ok ok ok i know and i’m jealous!
kidding, kidding…
this is good, stephen, felt the same thing in my heart at the coldplay show, with a similar situation… they were told to move actually, but my heart did not react in love… thank you for your constant example to me. i’m so grateful for you.
Megan – Yep, right on. Apart from the saving grace of God, I’d be the obnoxious drunk guy.
Beth – Truthfully, I would rather have seen Coldplay than The Police, but they were still awesome. It seems like we just need to prepare our hearts for difficult people when we go to concerts!
Very encouraging post! I think I often forget how often I find myself being annoyed by something, when, in fact, I was the exact same (if not worse!) before Christ took hold of my heart. I heard somewhere that CJ Mahaney, when asked how he’s doing, always replies, “Better than I deserve, thank you.” I think that’s such a sweet, daily reminder that everything we have has been given to us–including, most importantly, our salvation! It is humbling to remember that, and such a blessing as well.