Why? Did I change my preferences? No. Does it matter? I mean will any reader even care about the coffee drama going on this morning? No, maybe not, probably not. But I didn't prepare. I didn't make my coffee last night, so I have none ready this morning. I also have no substitutes in the way of sodas or other caffeinated beverages. So it's make a pot of coffee or do without.
Doing without is not an option if I can help it. I am honest enough to admit that I am addicted to caffeine. If I don't keep my caffeine level up, I begin to have headaches as I go into caffeine withdrawals. I don't worry about this particular addiction because it doesn't make life unmanageable, and I never had to lie, cheat, steal or commit a major sin in order to obtain a cup. But I'm hooked, and if I can't drink it the way I want, the way I prefer, the way that is best for me, I will drink it hot, or on ice, or in the case of instant coffee I've been known to just eat a spoonful dry.
I can stress it to show in a slightly humorous ways, but we all do it in some way. How many have seen someone order a soda, and after being told that soda is out of stock or not carried, order a different brand and then say something about how they don't like that soda. Do you have Diet Dr. Pepper? No, but we have Diet Coke? Sigh. I hate Diet Coke. Oh well, bring me a Diet Coke. Well, if you hate that drink, or if it's really not what you want, why get it? Because you "have" to have something to drink with your meal? Because you "have" to have a soda over water? Because you need the caffeine? Or...?
What about when they don't have diet and you buy the one you don't need, the regular brand with all the sugar. Well, I just wanted a soda so bad I blew my diet, or ignored my diabetes or.... And by the way, I never drink diet soda, I always have my sugar thank you very much, I'm simply showing that we all have areas where we will quickly compromise to get our fix, whatever that fix may be.
So why don't we do that with God? It is essential to gain closeness with Daddy. We have no power to walk as we should if we are not infused with and surrendered to the Holy Spirit. Never mind the relationship aspects of ignoring someone we claim to love, but the necessity aspects loom large over our day. We can not walk with God without spending time with Him, time praying, time worshiping. It's not a rule thing, as in you must pray 30 minutes every day or else. It's a practical thing. I can't drink enough coffee on Sunday to get me through Monday morning, much less the whole week. I need more or I begin to feel the effects of not having it. And I can't worship enough, pray enough, read enough Bible on Sunday to last any longer than the coffee I drink. Monday morning I need a fresh cup of Spirit.
But I overslept, and I am in a rush. I don't have time. Or I'm just not feeling it today. Or some other reason why I am going to wait until tomorrow to do the most important thing on my need to do list, spend time with my Creator. I'm not putting off my coffee any longer than I have to. Most of us don't just eat our meal without something to drink when they don't have what we want. And we can't go putting our time with God off because it isn't happening at the time, place or in the way that we like. I enjoy my last meditation time in the evening to be alone, sitting in a comfortable chair with my pipe, contemplating and praying. But if that doesn't happen, I will still lay in bed with my wife and review my day and pray. It's part of my necessary time. So is my morning time.
There are things I prefer to do, in the order and amount of time I prefer, with the background music I prefer, etc. God just prefers to have our heart from the start and whether you play music or don't or what kind doesn't really matter. But He wants us, all of us, undivided us. And we need Him, His love, His power and His grace to live as our hearts long to live.
Maybe today, something happened and the way you prefer to get your daily dose of Jesus isn't happening or possible. Don't let that cause you to make Him wait another day to fellowship with you. Do what you can, push in, make contact in a less preferred way. Less preferred is a thousand times better than not at all. You may not get a headache if you skip your morning cup of Spirit, but that power that helps you go through your day in a way befitting a free child of God, yeah that becomes less available. And if you have been struggling but have never made time with God a regular part of your day, I would encourage you to do so. It won't be long till you will wake longing for that contact with Him more than the first cup of coffee that pulls us from our beds.
Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on
March 7, 2016.
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