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I happen to like coffee... Yes, it's true, I happen to like coffee...I just don't drink it anymore. Not for the reasons you might think, please read on... In the neighborhood of fifteen years ago, while I was a truck driver, I was placed on a particular local job. The job consisted of me hauling four loads of lumber from a mill to two of their customers. I did this every day for close to six years. Anyway, I got into the habit of getting a mug of coffee from the mill lunchroom on every trip. This, in addition to the mug I took from home every morning, was a good deal of coffee ingestion. In the early part of this time I was also a smoker. Hmm...I can tell already that this story is going to be longer than I like. Please bear with me... Well, in case you didn't know this, truck drivers have to pass a physical every two years in order to keep their CDL. It turns out that I began to have a little trouble passing the blood-pressure portion of the exam. On my own, I decided to cut back on my coffee consumption to one mug a day...the one I took every morning from home. I'd also managed to quit smoking by this time. Okay, fast forward...I'm a pastor of a small mission in California, when my wife passes away. I'm still drinking just one mug of coffee a day, and feel pretty good about it. However, I hate wasting the rest of the pot, so I start saving the cold coffee and just warming it up the next day. I'm evidently not quite smart enough to get one of those little personal coffee makers...but that's another story. Since I hate instant coffee and the day-old coffee got, well...old, I eventually just quit drinking it altogether. I don't miss it...but I do have a cup with a friend at times. Or if I visit someone and they offer, and I still enjoy the flavor. I guess, in the long run, I only quit making coffee, not drinking it after all. Consider this from the word: 1 Cor 6:12 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. KJV The point is, I try not to get all wrapped up in "do this, don't do that". God has called us to liberty: Rom 8:14-15 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. KJV Be led by the Spirit...whatever you allow yourself, use moderation and remain the free of God. Thanks for sticking with it...God Bless. Pastor Ed |
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4/18/2006 4:35 am |
Amen, Brother! Good illustration!
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4/18/2006 5:24 am |
Thanks for another great post! I enjoyed it over my morning cup of coffee and a cigarette, my usual ritual before school. My flesh is weak! I know I need to quit the smoking and God is working on me to that end. 
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4/18/2006 6:01 am |
I knew there was a reason I liked you!  I read that with my cup of joe while sitting at my dispatch desk! Yeah, even us nasty old dispatchers enjoy your message. Have a blessed day and please keep them coming, they lighten the load. 
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4/18/2006 7:33 am |
hmmm, i like rodney, am drinking my morning coffee as i read this. and i am looking forward to having starbucks coffee when i go to el paso today...first time out of mexico in 5 months... but, i do believe, as you quoted that all things are lawful but not all things are expedient...and attempt to drink in moderation. it behooves (like that word ) to maintain our bodies cince they are the temple of God. have a good one, hellen
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4/18/2006 7:33 am |
hmmm, 'since' they are the temple of God...
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I just came back from work and opened my comp. came to see what is happening over there and I just like Rod, took my cup of coffee with me here. Smoking I quit in 1985 just few mouths before I renewed my relation ship with Jesus. Have a nice day and keep ur faith.(I know truck drivers have awful work times, and very un regular eating habits)
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4/18/2006 8:08 am |
HAR! Somehow I knew someone was going to say something like that...hehe.
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4/18/2006 9:26 am |
Thanks for another great post! I enjoyed it over my morning cup of coffee and a cigarette, my usual ritual before school. My flesh is weak! I know I need to quit the smoking and God is working on me to that end. Anyway, I really liked to smoke cigarettes. I don't drink coffee, do drugs, rarely drink alcohol, so I guess I really wanted to hold onto this one vice. I felt the Lord asking me to give them up. Smoking cigarettes will not stop you from getting to heaven or even make you a second class Christian. Please understand that! But as for me... the Lord wanted me personally to quit. I still enjoyed it so much, though. So, this is what the Lord led me to do - He taught me to speak the truth instead of hiding from it! I told Him that I liked to smoke and that I really didn't want to quit. But I also told Him that I love Him more, and if He wanted me to quit I would. I told Him that He would have to give me the desire to quit, though, and give me the ability to do it, because I just didn't have either within myself. You know what? Our God is so very faithful, P.S. He supplies all of our need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. He gave me the desire to quit. He completely changed my thinking about smoking. Then one day I woke up and He said, "Lay them down." That was the last time I smoked! I have friends who smoke but I don't! He is such a wonderful God. This principle works in every area of our lives that God puts His finger on to change us. When He shows us an area He wants to change in us, all we have to do is acknowledge that it is there and that it needs to go, then give Him permission to take it away. He will do all the rest! So, my advice to you, if you will accept it, is to rest in Him. Tell Him the truth about how you are feeling and give Him permission to change you. He will! Stop trying to do this on your own. It is His job. Your job is to just stay close to Him, no matter what weaknesses you see in yourself, and let Him change your from glory to glory. Ed, I am sorry to take up so much space on your blog, but I just felt led to share my testimony here. Thanks!
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