Childish ways
Practically, what also concerns me is the fact that young men are the most likely to smoke weed and, by seemingly all measurable variables, are immature, irresponsible, and getting worse.
Young men are less likely than their female peers to attend college, work a job, or attend church. For the first time in America’s history, the majority of births to women under the age of 30 are now out of wedlock—meaning the majority of those kids have no experience of their father ever being married to their mother.
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:11 are timely, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
There is nothing wrong with being a boy, so long as you are a boy.
But when a man acts like a boy, that’s a real problem. A recent article even noted that young men are now less likely than ever to own a car, as taking public transportation allows them to use their smartphone more hours every day playing video games and downloading porn.
The last thing these guys need is to get high, be less motivated, and less productive; instead, they need to “act like men, [and] be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).
Other considerations
Also, many will attempt to treat marijuana usage as analogous to alcohol. But while the Bible does speak of alcohol, it never mentions marijuana, which means the issue requires a great deal of consideration before arriving at a thoughtful Christian position.
All that said, I hope this ebook helps Christians think through the matter of marijuana in an informed way. It is by no means meant to serve as a definitive word on the subject, but as I say in the conclusion, these thoughts are not meant to be comprehensive, or even unchangeable. I have a lot to learn and consider on these issues, and along with many fellow Christian leaders am seeking to develop thoughtful and helpful answers to these questions.
I want to thank in advance those who will contribute to the conversation so that we can all become more informed and better counselors by God’s grace, for God’s glory, and for the good of God’s people.
Finally, please note that this ebook does not represent the official position of Mars Hill Church, as our elders have not yet convened on this issue, but rather my personal thoughts on the matter.
