December 12: The Office Holiday Party
The work holiday party is coming. Open bar. Your boss will be there. So will everyone else.
“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Office parties are their own kind of challenge. It’s not quite optional, not quite fun. Everyone’s dressed up. Drinks are flowing. People who are careful all year let loose. And for someone in recovery, there’s an extra layer of pressure. You want to fit in. You don’t want anyone asking questions. You don’t want to look like you’re judging anyone.
Paul writes about the night being far gone and the day being near. Let’s walk properly, he says, as in the day. Not in reveling and drunkenness. And then the key line: put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh. Don’t plan ahead for your weakness. Plan ahead for your strength.
That’s what a party plan is. Making no provision for the flesh means not leaving room for the old thinking to sneak in. It means deciding everything important before you walk in the door.
Decide whether to go. Many people skip work parties in early recovery, and that’s fine. If you go, decide how long you’ll stay. An hour is plenty to be seen and say hello. Drive yourself. Get a drink you like as soon as you arrive and keep it in your hand. Know what you’ll say if someone offers you something. Find the people who aren’t drinking much and stand near them. Have someone you’ll text when you leave.
And watch for the moment when the room shifts. Early on, it’s conversation. Later, people get louder and sloppier. That’s usually the moment to leave. You won’t miss much.
There’s an opportunity here too. Step Twelve says to practice these principles in all our affairs. At a work party, that might mean being the one who’s kind to the person standing alone. The one who has a real conversation. The one who gets someone a ride home. You can carry the message without saying a word.
One thing today
Write your party plan: whether you’re going, how you’ll get there, what you’ll drink, when you’ll leave and who you’ll text. Then pray over it.
A prayer
Lord, I’m putting You on before I go. Help me make no room for my old ways. Keep me sober, kind and clear-headed, and get me home safe. Amen.
Questions about faith and drinking? Read is drinking a sin.
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