The Coffee Effect

So, as most of you know I am NOW a coffee junkie thanks to my friend who shall remain nameless (Kim).  A few years ago, I was on my way to speak at an evening event.  I was pretty tired as it had been a looooong day.  You see, I’m not really a night person… or a morning person, come to think of it.  I guess I’m more of an early afternoon chick.  Like 2:00-2:30ish, something like that.  🙂

Well, I just could not stop yawning so my friend suggested we stop and get me some coffee to wake me up.  Although I had never tried coffee before, I knew she was right.  I needed a pick me up!  It would be pretty unprofessional to be yawning up on stage. ( I just yawned typing the word.  Why is yawning so suggestible?  Did you just yawn, too?)

Because this “coffee” was going to be a new taste to me, my friend started me out with a pretty fru-fru drink that still had enough caffeine to get the job done, but was designed to be easier on my delicate palate.  And it didn’t let me down.

I got hooked.

For so many years, I was almost prideful about the fact that coffee had never passed through my lips and down my throat.  How did I make it through college??  That’s actually a really good question  😉

You know what’s interesting?  As these years have passed, I’ve gotten further from those fru-fru drinks and can now drink coffee ALMOST black (still need a little milk and the yellow packets).  I do like the “decorative” drinks, but can drink a little darker than I used to be able to do.

That’s what sin is like.  It has the Coffee Effect on us.

Sin starts out sweet and tasty and doesn’t always present itself as too bold or too dark. It’s not hard to swallow because there is only a subtle hint of a bitter taste.

But, then we need something a little stronger to get us up and going in the morning.  We get a little tired of the sweetness and so we go a little blacker to get the same effect.  We adapt to the need for more, sometimes without even blinking an eye.

Until one day we are black coffee drinkers (no offense meant… just an example) and we find that’s all we want… and exactly what we need.  The hard stuff.  We can’t quit now.  I mean, has anyone experienced a “caffeine withdrawal” headache?  You see, we’re too entrenched in the habit so trying to find a way out seems… overwhelming.

Dilemma.

What do we do?  Do we try to wean ourselves off the coffee (aka… away from the spirit-breaking sin) or do we just quit cold turkey?  Can you really wean yourself from sin?  Is it realistic to just… stop… and not look back?

What do you think?