Why Coffee?
A Christian Devotional
I’m a coffee drinker. My kids are coffee drinkers; well, I have one outlier who drinks tea. Tea drinkers break my heart, but that’s another story.
My mom’s mother passed away while she was young, and her dad lived about five hundred miles away from us while my sister and I were growing up. So, Mom did little things to help us remember Grandpa.
One of Mom’s favorite early memories was how her dad would leave a bit of coffee in his cup or saucer, knowing Mom would drink it. So, she wanted her kids to keep that tradition, and we have. My sister and I started early in life, and we remain avid coffee drinkers, though I am more than her. My wife thinks that I’ve had nearly every coffee-making device ever invented.
Where’s the Devotional?
By now, you may be asking, Gary, how will you wrangle a Christian devotional out of coffee, especially when so many people loathe the stuff? Well, here goes!
For real coffee drinkers, drinking coffee is a habit; it is not bad but just a habit. Smoking is a bad habit. Eating vegetables is a good habit. Habits are neutral; what you do with them makes them bad or good.
What is Your Habit?
So, for coffee drinkers, we all have a routine, and most of us have a cup of coffee every morning. We each have our little rituals we perform to have that cup, and that ritual is almost as important as the coffee itself.
Maybe your ritual is as simple as driving to Starbucks, ordering your Grande Latte, pulling up, getting that hot, steaming cup, paying (adding a tip), and merrily going to work, smelling the rich aroma as you complete your drive. Perhaps, like me, you buy whole-bean coffee. Your ritual includes grinding the beans to just the right consistency, breathing in the fragrance, and brewing the first pot of the day.
Regardless of your routine, I’m confident you’ve built a habit that contains rituals that contribute to the satisfaction you receive from your first sip of coffee; suddenly, you’re awake and ready for the day.
Now we Pray?
Routines and rituals are also keys to effective times with God. The Apostle Paul said, “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should do this for our good. We should always be in communication with God to know His will and not waste our time on useless ideas, activities, or plans.
In addition to our continual prayers, we need times when we are truly alone with God. We need to prioritize our time with God. We should put our mobile phones in airplane mode and turn off all other distractions. We should consciously create a prayer life habit.
Are we Grumpy if we Miss our Time with God?
Create a routine for meeting with God that, if violated, makes you grumpy. Create habits that bring you into God’s presence. I don’t mean we should do a set of actions while on autopilot.
Thank God, sing a hymn or praise song to Him, study a passage of Scripture, vigorously pray, and so forth. These daily activities prepare us to meet the day ahead and, when the time comes, to meet our Maker!
Will our Routine Fall Apart?
Our alone time is when we fervently pray to our heavenly Father. We need space for the Holy Spirit within us to speak to our hearts. We need to test ourselves to ensure we are wholly subject to the Lordship of Christ Jesus. We need to declutter our minds to focus on God and become aware of things He wants us to correct or do in our lives. We should be interceding in prayer on behalf of others. And, of course, we should be studying the Bible.
Unfortunately, these vital activities tend to fall apart and get pushed aside due to “life.” We have good intentions but find it challenging to keep these activities active. Like a neglected cup of coffee, we can become lukewarm. Now, take a sip of your hot coffee.
How do I Start?
A daily routine enables us to keep our love of coffee going for years and perhaps our whole lives. If we develop a routine for our prayer life with God, we will have a lifelong habit of enriching times with Him, loving Him, and enjoying Him.
Read the note Where do I Start if you are unsure how to start your daily prayer time.
You can do This!
If you’ve developed your God-time habit, then there’s no fumbling around. Your prayer life grows from your habit of spending time with God. Coffee makes a good analogy for your consistent time with God because it needs to be fresh, hot, and habitual. This routine is maintainable for your whole life! Now, take another sip of your fresh coffee, tea, or water and tell yourself, “With Jesus, I can do this!” That’s good news.