Habits – 2 Bad Habits to Avoid

Are you a victim of bad habits? This Wisdom of Proverbs points out 2 bad habits to avoid. Those who drink too much wine and those who eat too much food.

STM Bible Lesson

Lesson focus: Proverbs 23:19-21. Bible lesson background: Proverbs 23:19-21.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags [Proverbs 23:19-21 (KJV)].

‘Guide thine heart in the way’. This has such a poetic flare but it means to keep your mind on what is right. My fav Bible meaning is from Good News Translation: ‘give serious thought to the way you live’. Another way to look at this is to be mindful of living right to please God.

I urge you to think about the things you do and the way you live. Get rid of bad habits.

Thank God for grace

Did you know the Law required that a ‘glutton and a drunkard’ be stoned (hit with stones) to death? The parents of a ‘rebellious (disobedient) son’ were to take their son to ‘elders’ and say “he is a glutton and a drunkard.” ‘All the men of his city shall stone him with stones’.

Read Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (20-21) for the full details.

Using substances that alter your way of thinking are not good habits for you. As a matter of fact, I am clean and sober since March 1977. I speak from experience. Thank you, Lord, for removing the appetite for drugs and alcohol. Both WERE bad habits that made me someone I was not proud of.

Winebibbers

What is a winebibber? Don’t feel bad if you don’t know, I didn’t know either until I did some research. The short answer is those who drink too much wine; a drunkard or alcoholic.

Be wise my friends, you are advised to avoid people who drink too much, see 1 Corinthians 5:11. More importantly, you should not allow this bad habit in your life. Alcoholics will not live forever with the Lord, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

Riotous eaters of flesh

No, this is not talking about cannibals! ☺ In modern English, this means those who eat too much food. To better understand this, verse 21 points out that a person who does this is a ‘glutton’. In fact, the word ‘glutton’ implies greed.

Gluttons and greedy people want/eat/get more than they need. Avoid overeating!

Habits wrap-up

As a final point, indulging in these bad habits will end badly. Solomon says they cause laziness (drowsiness) and poverty. Consider this prayer:

Make your steps clear to me, O Lord; give me knowledge of your ways. 5 Be my guide and teacher in the true way; for you are the God of my salvation; I am waiting for your word all the day [Psalms 25:4-5 (BBE)].

Are you a victim of bad habits? Be a wise child of God, I urge you to use self-control and avoid drinking and eating too much. You can avoid bad habits with the help of the Lord.

Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺

Related Bible studies:

Self-control; Take Control Now with This Gift From God – an estimated 19-minute read.

Greed – God’s Children Should Not Be Greedy, Are You? – an estimated 13-minute read.

See what is available on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

Reference Scriptures

Note: parenthesis (#) encloses the key verse(s).

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (20-21); 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (11) and 6:1-11 (9-10). Psalms 25:4-5; Ephesians 5:15-21 (18).