"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.

God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

(Proverbs 24:12, Paraphrase)

Friday, November 8, 2013

Clutchin’ Coffee


Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?" Isaiah 14:2-3
I am of good Danish stock on my mother's side. Apparently an extreme love of coffee is part of that heritage. In fact, for my entire childhood and beyond, my grandma would come over to our house at 10 a.m. every morning except Sunday for coffee with my mom. It was a tradition that kept them in constant touch with each other while at the same time giving each her second morning cup, the first one being ingested upon awaking. 

Image Pixabay  "Body-n-Care"
When in her 50s my mom started having heart palpitations and decided she better go to the doctor and have it checked out. To her dismay, the doctor told her that it was because she was drinking too much caffeine. He told her she needed to stop or her life could be cut short. Without missing a beat, my mom announced she would rather die early than give up coffee.

Later at home she reflected on what she had just done and laughed at herself. She realized that she, a tee-totaling Baptist who would not drink a drop of alcohol, had expressed willingness to die for coffee! 

And I am my mother's daughter. Although coffee in excess does not tempt me, (my bloodline was diluted from my dad's side), I have other temptations to excess—temptations to clutch to my heart things unworthy of such devotion.

My mom and I in 1978
"The human heart is a factory of idols," John Calvin eloquently stated. It is definitely true for me. While I have absolutely no temptation to bow down to an idol made of wood or stone, I have a huge propensity to bow down to idols created in my own heart. In fact, unless I purposefully determine to worship God and God alone and immerse myself in God’s Word so I recognize potential idols, I will almost immediately be admiring other people or things more than Him.

My mom's story has a happy ending. By cutting back on coffee the palpitations stopped. And how thankful I am that I, her daughter, have also been able to get in proper balance similar things in my life—things that in themselves are not sinful, but in excess turn my heart away for the only thing truly worthy of adoration, God Himself.

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