“Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”” (Genesis 9: 20–22, 24–25, ESV)
Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Did you ever wake up the next morning and wish you could have a “do-over” for the day before? If you just said “no,” you probably have only been alive for a few minutes.
Sin is as natural to us as breathing. Pharisees who condemn those of us who sin still exist in today’s climate. And you know that life is filled with times when we know we shouldn’t but we do it anyway. Too many trips to the buffet bar or plates of food during the week is my issue. You see, I am a recovering glutton. I like to eat. I don’t have to be hungry I just like food!
And, when I eat too much, my clothes get too tight, my stomach aches, and, if I’ve eaten spicy, I have heartburn. What about you? What’s your “go to” sin of choice? How do you deal with “the morning after?”
Noah’s choice of drinking to drunkenness set up a scenario for generations of heartache. While we don’t know exactly what his son, Ham or his grandson, Canaan, did to him while he was sleeping, we do know that it made Noah so mad that he cursed his grandson forever. That’s serious anger unleashed on his own flesh and blood.
Many times we choose a path that has unforeseen consequences. We don’t intend for anything bad to happen, but our indulgence leads to disaster. When that happens we overreact on others because of our guilt and shame. Many of you reading this right now are shaking your heads in silent agreement and, perhaps a few of you are weeping because of the brokenness of relationships severed by harsh words.
While prevention would have been the solution, reconciliation is the strategy at this point. Humility can repair much if we but try!
Turn-Around Tuesdays are designed to bring hope and help, insight and encouragement to those of us who are simply overwhelmed by the flood of problems life throws at us. No one is immune to trials and troubles, but God has a way of lifting us from life’s torrents. Each short thought is written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and comes from his life-journey with the God who never leaves us or forsakes us. He welcomes your comments below.
