I gave up drinking alcohol a few years ago. While I didn't see a dramatic change in my physical health as I wasn't a particularly big consumer of alcohol, I did notice the effects that not drinking had on my commitment to my faith. Without the ability to fall back on the excuse that late night drinking was responsible for why I couldn't pull myself out of bed for church in the morning, I was forced to face up to the real reasons I was reluctant to go. And waking with a clear head each morning meant that I could appreciate God's glory in a way that wasn't possible on days when I was sobering up.

Although it is possible to have a healthy relationship with alcohol, and while I wouldn't criticise others for choosing to drink, there are definite benefits to being sober from both a health and spiritual perspective.

These are just four of the ways I have benefitted as a Christian:

Clearer head at all times
There's an endless list of things vying for our attention. With such busy lifestyles, we can find that our minds are regularly clouded and alcohol just adds to this.

When you take alcohol out of the equation, you can make yourself mentally available to God at all times. As a teetotaller, a hangover will never be the reason you miss church so you'll always be physically available to God too.

Greater appreciation of your body
Excessive drinking pushes our bodies to the limits - sometimes far beyond what God intended for them. That's why if you've drunk more than you should have in a night, then even everyday tasks can be a struggle the following day - and that can negatively impact not only ourselves but those who are relying on us.

When you're sober you can readily stretch your body and mind by engaging in physical exercise, intentional fasting and meditative prayer. In doing so you remind yourself what a remarkable creation your body is and what a magnificent creator God is. Plus, importantly, you demonstrate your appreciation of the gift of a healthy body by treating it with care.

Reduces temptation
Alcohol consumption is known for causing people to lose their inhibitions. It's one of the reasons why so many people resort to drinking before they do something that scares them. But it can also impair your judgement and cause you to do things that are contrary to your beliefs.

Temptation is everywhere and it's more difficult to avoid when you get yourself into a state where you're less able to determine what's right from wrong. If when you're sober you ask God to "lead us not into temptation" it's a little contradictory to intentionally put yourself in a position where you'll reduce your ability to resist.

Strengthen your relationship with God
As Christians, we can find the answer to all of our problems in God. We should turn to him when we're in need of a confidence boost, cheering up and comfort, not alcohol. It might provide a temporary fix to our problems by allowing us to mask over our issues but when we're sober we're in a better position to confront and overcome our insecurities with His help, and this is much better for us in the long term.