I am always on the lookout for good books, so I am ordering the book you suggested “The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-By-Day Guide to Ethical Living.”

Thanks for the article. I have to confess something. My husband and I are helping a young man from our city go through long-term rehab for alcohol and drugs. He is in another city and doing well. On our fist visit with him, I asked his director what I could bring him. He suggested cigarettes since he smoked. I commented that I wouldn’t buy cigarettes for him. I later felt really guilty for the arrogant attitude I had. That young man is going through a hard time right now, and if smoking helps him to get through it, then so be it!!! If he needs to quit smoking, that can come later.

I sent him some money to buy cigarettes. Oh, we can be so judgmental.

I was a committed smoker, having begun the habit in my early teens. On 8/19/85, after 43 years as a church-attending unbeliever, the Spirit of God compelled me into the Kingdom, and things began to change, some more quickly, some more slowly.

Early-on in my faith-walk, the Spirit led me into His Word on a daily basis, each morning. When the weather permitted, I would take my morning cup of coffee, my Bible, and my cigarettes outside for my quiet time with Him. In June, 1990, the Spirit advised me that He wanted me to quit smoking. I readily confessed that I was too strongly addicted to the aspects of the habit, and that I couldn’t quit. The Lord advised that I could quit, and that He would help me. He told me that every time I got the ‘urge’ for a cigarette, to let HIM know and HE would take it from me . . . so I did!

On that first day, I’m sure I called on Him a thousand times to take away that desire for a puff, and He did, each time. The second day, I called on Him just as often, and He came each time I called to take away that desire for a puff. Then the desire only came about 999 times . . . then 998 . . . then 997, etc. . . . until finally the desire was gone.

Just as my coming into the Kingdom on the evening of 8/19/85 was the Lord’s idea and timing, so was my stopping the cigarette habit. I sometimes wish I had noted the exact day, but I didn’t. What is more important than the date, was the fact that He did it for me at a time of His choosing.

Scripture teaches us in so many places of things that are done according to the Lord’s timing. These are all demonstrations of the sovereignty of our God, our Lord, our Savior!

Blessed be His Holy Name!

Johnny, thanks for your comments and for leading us to this site. As a Salvation Army Officer, I find your questions on how we allow some things and not other to be a conversation that the Salvation Army should march into.

Thanks again for your thoughts Lois. I look forward to reading other articles.

This is such a wonderful article. And, as a Salvation Army officer, it is very relevant for me. I will definitely use your work in this article to benefit others who struggle with whether or not smoking is okay for Christians.

As a Salvation Army officer, I have made a committment not to drink any form of alcohol or use any type of tobacco.

What’s interesting to me about this covenant, concerning the alcohol issue, is that there are many people whose stress levels are so high that they are forced to take prescription medications, when a simple glass of wine may be all that’s required. Is it better to take anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs than to drink wine? The Talmud teaches, “At the head of all medicines am I wine; where wine is lacking drugs are necessary” (B.B. 58b).

And the other issue has to do with the commitment not to smoke. There are many who abstain from smoking but eat to the point of morbid obesity. This is truly a difficult ethical dilemma for the church.

Thanks again for your wonderful and helpful research.

Many blessings,
Johnny