“I NEED my coffee. If I don’t get it, I’ll be a grouch, and I’m exhausted. I’ve got to have it to keep going.”
I heard myself say it. The words pricked my spirit. The Holy Spirit quickly reminded me only Jesus could give me joy and peace and energy for my day. What was I doing substituting a quick fix instead of Jesus’ endless supply of possibility in my life?
I confess I started down the path of coffee drinking out of desperation when my daughter wasn’t a good sleeper. I never liked it, even in college, but I was scared by how I acted when I was exhausted so I resorted to drinking coffee.
Do you ever do things out of desperation? I started with one cup to get me through the day of solo parenting, but that was six years ago and soon I required multiple cups a day just to keep going. Coffee became a requirement to start my day, to keep going in the afternoon, and something I leaned on for help.
The Holy Spirit showed me if I replaced the word “coffee” for “Jesus,” that would probably be more accurate — start my day with Jesus, keep going with Jesus, and lean on Jesus for help.
Please hear me say, coffee is not evil or bad. Don’t send me hate mail if you love the aroma of roasted beans at your favorite coffee shop or have sweet memories of drinking coffee for the first time with your grandmother. If you like the taste of coffee and it’s not a focus in your life, then more power to you.
But for me, I realized coffee had become a crutch. I thought about it first thing before I opened my eyes. I planned my day around getting another cup. I didn’t feel well when I drank it. And the Holy Spirit got my attention to show me coffee had become a little idol in my life.
I’m sure you can relate with something in your life.
Is there something food related or not that you’ve come to require to get through your day? Maybe for you it started out as a treat or just a way to get through a hard time and now has become a necessity?
This isn’t about not drinking coffee but asking yourself what you feel like you can’t live without. What do you plan your day around? What’s that thing that makes you feel better but doesn’t really satisfy? Something your mouth and mind have convinced you that you need or even deserve after the kind of day you’ve had?
When I think about my body and all of its imperfections, I’m astonished that Jesus chooses to put His very Spirit in such an imperfect vessel.
I’m in awe at the amount of faith He places in us that we will carry out His will. I don’t know what else would give us more courage than to know Jesus believes His Spirit has the power to transform us and will do the work, that He will heal, grow, and help our mortal bodies to live so we may love.
I want to make healthy decisions that will help me live faithfully in the body God gave me, keeping it beautiful as a representative of Him and capable of fulfilling whatever He has for me each day.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
God chooses to dwell with us and in us. Our bodies are special because they are His sanctuary — a place to pray, sacrifice, and worship. I’m taking that more seriously now.
I’ve asked Him to give me energy to do His will instead of thinking I need coffee to keep going. I’ve thanked Jesus for placing His Holy Spirit in me, for loving me enough to want to dwell with me in such an intimate way but also trusting me enough to take care of the temple He made where His awesome glory dwells.
What if not living like the world also means we examine what we are putting in our bodies?
What if you took time today to get to know Jesus a little bit better and get to know your own body so you can serve Him more effectively in whatever He has called you to do?
What if being a light for the Lord means saying no to a certain food or drink, not for the sake of rules but in the freedom to have energy to love others well?
When Jesus says to love others as you love yourself, will you choose one way to love the body He gave you to accomplish His purposes and to love others with it?
I’m not giving up coffee. I am choosing to not drink coffee and am trying to make other healthy decisions to feel more alive. I’m focusing on Jesus as I wake up and not my next cup of coffee.
You have the freedom to make good and healthy choices, too, for your body, soul, mind, and spirit. Because of your faith in Jesus, you are free to be healthy so you can do His will in your life in the everyday and the long-term. Will you allow the Holy Spirit to show you where He wants more space to dwell in you?
God chooses to dwell with us and in us. Our bodies are special because they are His sanctuary -- a place to pray, sacrifice, and worship. -@beautyandbedlam: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment
For me it’s good strong tea in the morning, and more than once I’ve whispered as I took that first sip, “Lord, could I do this day if it was just you and me?” Thanks for this opportunity to press pause and assess my thinking about the Source of my true strength end endurance.
MIchele,
I’m a tea lover myself. I consume about 5 or so cups a day. Love the taste & caffeine helps me when I haven’t gotten enough sleep Nice to meet another tea lover!!
I love the idea of pressing pause throughout the day to give our Source the opportunity to refresh us.
I admit that I really look forward to that first cup of coffee to give me a “jolt!” ☕️ Thank you, Stephanie, for giving me a new perspective. Instead, I will ask the Holy Spirit to show me what areas of my life I am substituting something for Him.
Great post today!!
Thank you! It’s not easy to not look for a quick substitute. I still struggle, but I think trying to be aware is a good first step
I used to be the same every month when I had my period. Every month I took in my head I had to have a Lucozade and Mars Bar. I even got to point when my Husband and I used too do the food shopping together if I see special offers for them on the selves. I say please please can I get them in a sweet sweet voice to him long with food we needed to buy. As we be on budget. But it helps me. It helps me especially when I have my period. I will buy them out of my own money if you don’t let us buy them in food shopping. My Husband gave in too keep me quite and because he loved me. He new it would make no differences to my periods as thoes days they were really bad and heavy when I had them. Then every time I drank the Lucozade and took a bite of the Mars bar. I used to hear in my head. It only a silly notion in your head you don’t need it. They are not going to make you any better. So I kept on buying them when on offer in our Supper Market in packets of four the Mars and the Lucozade in packets of four. Every single time I drank the Lucozade or took a bite of the Mars I hear it only a silly notion in your head. I then knew it was the Holy Spirit telling me it was all in my head and I didn’t need the Lucozade and Mars every month. That it was doing me no good. I stopped taking it. As it made me high on sugar and the Lucozade and Mars made my health with my periods worse. Even my Husband noticed it. He used to say your periods are worse when you take the Lucozade and the Mars. Plus so are you hipper on the sugar. So when I stopped my sugar level was ok my periods still bad but I it did help them a bit not eating the Mars or drinking Lucozade. I found it was all in my head. The Holy Spirit showed me that. I even take a sore heads. So stopping it I hardly ever get a sore head now. I would now never take a Lucozade or a Mars bar. Just go to show you. Some times God uses the Holy spirit to tell us what we are putting in our bodies not good for us. It only a silly notion in our heads. We all along don’t need it. When we think we do. I am glad I listened to God Holy Spirit. Or my health could have been alot worse today. Thank you so so much for another excellent reading Love Dawn xxxx
I’m so happy to hear you’re feeling better and more free!
Stephanie, what a wonderfully convicting post, causing me to pause and ask what idols do I put ahead of or instead of Christ. This prayer is part of my quiet time meditations…
Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. I bow at Your Cross, and I experience anew Your forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace, as I sense Your blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns pressed into Your brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, I get up from my knees wearing Your Robe of righteousness as I face the day ahead, welcoming Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.
Beautiful prayer! Did you write it? Can I post it (along with this article) as a reminder to put God first?
I needed to hear this Stephanie there are some hard choices ahead to make room for more freedom and space to do Gods will. Thank you!
With the Spirit’s help it will get easier.
Thank you Stephanie – I so needed to read this today! It’s not coffee I have a problem with but food. During Lent I was much more mindful of what and when I ate but since Easter, the world and all it’s stresses have moved back in and my eating has been anything but mindful! Your article has brought back the fact I need to pray first and ask what I should eat, not what I want to eat. It’s about filling myself with Jesus, not food! Thank you so much!
I can relate to your struggle. I’m trying to be more mindful to fuel my body with the food God made for it!
Stephanie, thanks for sharing this and reminding us to start our day with Jesus! I start my morning With my InCourage devotionals, so I appreciate you time and heart! I also tend to drink coffee as I’m reading most mornings. Lately, I’ve slacked off some on the coffee. I think I went three days without coffee until yesterday when I saw SBUX while getting groceries, lol
I also find I “ treat “ myself with sweet snacks, iced lattes, etc., so your post is reminding me to be cautious as it what we put in our precious bodies. I’ll work on that , although I talk to Jesus throughout most days, lol
Yes, the draw of a treat for stressful days or a reward after hard work is hard. I’m trying to change the way I view food to be more about fuel to accomplish my calling.
Amen to living this out, Stephanie, with or without coffee: “start my day with Jesus, keep going with Jesus, and lean on Jesus for help.”
Stephanie,
There is a book out called the Daniel Diet. Basically you cut out rich foods in favor of healthy fruits & veges. It is a way to put your body in better shape. It is one way Christians are getting back to eating healthy. For me thou, I would miss meat & protein. Can’t give up my beloved tea. I drink it all day long. Love sitting with a hot cup & reading emails-especially In Courage. We need to be more careful about what we eat. Hard for most to think of their bodies as a temple where Jesus is living. We as Christians should strive to eat like Jesus did-healthy foods. It will eliminate a lot of illnesses in your life. It all boils down to how you choose to treat the body God almighty gave you. We can eat mostly healthy with a few splurges here and there. More importantly it is about what takes precedent over God. What food, or other activity comes first in your day. We should wake up saying “thank you Lord for another day”. A chance to do your will & spread your light in this world. Let’s show this world how to treat a loving, caring God by putting Him first in our day.
Blessings 🙂
Soul-touching words to turn into a prayer: “I want to make healthy decisions that will help me live faithfully in the body God gave me, keeping it beautiful as a representative of Him and capable of fulfilling whatever He has for me each day.” Amen and thank you, Stephanie!
Thank you, Nancy!
Thanks, Stephanie!
I was at the same path of many cups of coffee a day. The Lord oriented me to fast from coffee. For seven years I drank only tea. It was the wisdom of the Lord because I was on my forties and was having strong reflexes and swearing on my back at my preschool job. Today, I drink coffee with moderation one or two cups a day.
I enjoyed your inspiring message. Love,
Marinalva