Sing Instead of Getting Drunk

You may have read this line in Ephesians before:

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)

I’ll admit, I’ve always just sort of skimmed past that. But recently, I paused to think about the parallel Paul is making. Why does he compare drunkenness to being filled with the Spirit? Surely he doesn’t mean we should act drunk and call it God. And yet, he does seem to think there’s some kind of connection.

Not About Prohibition or Pretending

Let’s start here: I don’t think Paul is offering a blanket prohibition on drinking. In fact, in 1 Timothy he advises his young friend to have some wine for his stomach. And Paul would have known Ecclesiastes, which says to drink wine with a joyful heart.

At the same time, Paul—and the rest of Scripture—acknowledge the dangers of alcohol. I’ve shared before why I decided to largely stop drinking a few years ago. My advice? Look after yourself. But either way, this verse is not about acting drunk and pretending it’s God.

The Parallel Paul Sees

Think about what alcohol does in the moment: it lowers social inhibitions. It can make you feel, at least for a little while, deeply connected to the people around you. That connection might not last past sunrise, but in that moment it can feel real.

Paul’s alternative? Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and songs. In other words, there’s a genuine, Spirit-born way to experience the connection people sometimes chase through alcohol.

Singing as a Path to Connection

Have you ever been in a stadium with 15,000 people, everyone singing the same song—maybe even one where no one really knows the words, but you sing anyway? That shared moment bonds you with strangers. There’s actually science behind it: singing together releases oxytocin, the “connection hormone.”

Paul may not have known the biology, but he understood the experience. When we sing together—when we sing to each other—something happens. It’s not artificially induced. It’s not embarrassing the next day. It’s connection that comes from within, born through shared participation.

Trusting God for the Real Thing

So Paul says: instead of getting drunk and hoping for the best, why not trust God for the real thing? Look for opportunities where friendship and connection can grow—not in manufactured ways, but in the Spirit’s way. And maybe, just maybe, music can be part of how God draws you closer to the people near you.