Substitute for Substances

"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." Deuteronomy 8:3

A little over a week ago, I decided to give up my one cup of morning coffee.  This single cup gave me that sudden jolt of energy to start my day for the last 11+ years.  Given that it was only one cup, I really didn't think that I 'd have issues doing away with it.  Boy was I wrong.  My first day, if you want to call it that, was an epic fail.  I was driving to work with my eyes half closed, dried and burning, as though they had saw dust in them.  Giving into temptation I turned into the first dunkin' donuts I could find, and not only did I order a coffee, I ordered a coffee with an espresso shot! I devoured that coffee like a vulture does to the carcass of road kill. As trivial as a single cup of coffee may sound, the fact of the matter is, I was, and still am, dependent on that one thing. How sad it is to think that a tangible thing could take hold of my subconscious mind and make me hunger for, and rely on , something that is nothing more than a quick jolt that goes away in a matter of moments.

In my oxymoronic way, this failure blessed me with a God-inspired epiphany:  If I relied on God half as much as I relied on coffee or other sources of caffeine for that jolt of energy, I would have all the energy I need to share the Gospel with excitement and fervor.  The difference between God and coffee is that God eternal, and the more addicted we become to His word, the more we crave righteousness through it (Matthew 24:35; Matthew 5:6).  Coffee wears off after a couple of hours, leaving a person tired and yearning for more. Psychologically, we convince ourselves that we cannot function without it, which is exactly what I tricked myself into believing. But the truth is,I don't need it, but I do need Jesus, and he is the perfect substitute for caffeine.  His Spirit gives me the jolt that lasts a lifetime.

I must admit, that the first few days of my caffeine detox (for lack of a better word) were tough.  I had headaches, and even napped a few days (being someone who NEVER naps, this was strange to me).  I need to be clear that I am by no means trying to start an anti-coffee campaign.  I stopped drinking coffee and other means of caffeine, because I want to be more focused on God with out the aid of a substance to get my mind going.  This not a plea for people to stop drinking coffee; I'll likely have a cup or two in the future myself. As for now, I want a deeper, purer relationship with God, and for this reason, I want nothing getting in the way of Him being my first waking thought in the morning. 


To get the morning fuzzies out of my head and my eyes, I changed up my usual morning routine.  Instead of the annoying, beeeeeeppp!  beeeepppp!  beeeeeppp! of my alarm clock, I wake up to "Lead Me to the Cross," so that now my day starts with God.  Instead of coffee, I quench my thirst, and my dry, sleepy eyes with his word, that stays with me all day, where visine and coffee don't.  Instead of hitting the snooze button a half dozen times and thinking about the sometimes mundane tasks I have to perform at my job, I life my hands up in praise, thanking him that I have a job.  Had I not had this coffee failure turned epiphany, I would be doing the same routine each morning, without remembering that He is the reason I am one of the fortunate ones who is able to bring home a paycheck.  As someone who has suffered as a result of our nation's economic crisis, having been laid off not once, not twice, but THREE times in the last seven years, I have reason to be grateful for this and all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18); not allowing myself to take for granted a single blessing (eyes that see, legs that walk, a car that starts every morning, etc.). When I was drinking coffee every morning, my first thought after I hit snooze a dozen times was, "I need coffee." NO.  I need Jesus!


It's funny how, when you meet other Christians, that jolt of the Spirit inside of you intensifies, as though you drank a dozen redbulls in a minute flat.  The mutual love and adoration for Jesus deepens as fellow believers feed off of each others' energies.  I have a BIC (brother-in-Christ) who frequents my workplace at least once a week, and we are quite a sight to be seen.  Both in love with Jesus, we literally become giddy like school children at recess sneaking candies on the playground.  God's filling is so pure, so perfect, that is physically impossible for us not to get excited when we talk about Him and all that He has done in our lives.  I don't recall a time when coffee ever gave me butterflies in my stomach like the Spirit does.  Proverbs 27:17 puts it best when it states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."  Fellow believers' faith inspires mine, and therefore my faith is strengthened and recharged, as a result of that mutuality.  I'd rather be filled with more of His Spirit that gives me clarity and keeps me charged for life, than a drink that claims to "keep you running" for a few hours.  And with the assistance of other fellow believers around, there is no need to stop at coffee shops, so long as there are plenty of "filling stations" around to recharge;-)

Sandra Runs on 

(and to) Jesus!