It isn’t uncommon to hear someone refer to Christianity as a list of rules. Usually this reference is begrudgingly made, as if God is mindlessly trying to restrict us from having fun. As Lemuel’s mother teaches him about abstaining from drunkenness, she lets him know that he cannot be a drunk, and fulfill God’s calling for him at the same time. Drinking, like any other sin, is never a solo sport. Sin’s consequences always have far reaching effects, and destructive results. When this is realized, the list of rules, becomes a fountain of mercy. What a mercy it is, for God to teach me wisdom, that I might not destroy my family and friends in a spiral of selfish pursuits. May we recognize the mercy of God in wisdom, and pursue it with all of our hearts.