Faith Like Coffee
My wife and I love coffee, but one thing that can often annoy a coffee connoisseur is the dreaded case in which the coffee cools off and goes sour. There are two types of people in this scenario: those who will pour the coffee out and those who will heat it up. This could represent an all-too-familiar picture for many believers. Sometimes our faith can grow cold and we can become lukewarm Christians. This could lead to complacency in our faith, an abandonment of repentance, and a halt to our pursuit of God. Such a church is what Jesus warns about in Revelation 3:16. There are two responses we can have when our faith grows cold: we can settle into complacency or we can stir ourselves to begin seeking God until we’re on fire for Christ again. Christians ought to have a faith that keeps the coffee hot.
How can believers stoke the fire in such a way as to remain on fire for Christ? There’s no special secret that keeps the fire burning—there’s not some super secret society that has the keys. Perhaps the answer is something you already know. Stewardship. Faithful stewardship is one of the primary keys to keeping the flame alive. When someone wants to start a fire, they often begin with small sticks and leaves before adding larger logs. Once the fire is lit and growing, the larger logs can be added. Occasionally, one might need to blow into the fire as well as add some additional kindling to keep the fire going. The life of a Christian must look like faithful stewardship in the day-to-day if one desires to remain on fire for God. This looks like prayer, studying the Scriptures, gathering with fellow believers, encouraging one another, partaking in the sacraments, reflecting on the cross of Christ, sharing the faith and so on. There’s no secret to success when it comes to the Christian walk. In fact, people who claim secret knowledge about the faith usually turn out to be heretics. Let’s do what has always produced godly Christians: faithful stewardship of one’s faith.
Another problem that has grown over the years likely comes from our increased access to information through means of social media. One significant issue that Christians face is numerous questions or accusations made against the faith. Believers are regularly faced with constant attacks on the Christian faith by Muslims, atheists, and other worldviews. Unless one has spent time studying Christian apologetics, these attacks and questions can be alarming for believers who may not immediately have the answers. This is another opportunity for the coffee to get cold. I want to deeply encourage believers to continue asking sincere questions and to always take these things to Scripture—you may find the answer is already clearly laid out. There are times when a Christian may struggle with questions about the faith and choose to distance themselves from Christ until they gain a sense of certainty. I want to exhort any who may deal with doubts or questions to walk in the faith even if you’re struggling with doubts. It is better to be a Christian and ask the big questions than to depart from Christianity and ask the big questions. Why? Because if you continue to choose faith you can bring those questions directly to God. You can walk through these difficult questions on a relational level rather than distancing yourself until you get things figured out.
Think of it this way: if someone came to you accusing a significant relationship in your life (whether a spouse, sibling, or friend) of not truly loving you, would you distance yourself from that loved one until you figured things out or would you go to them and see if the accusation holds up? If someone told me, “Your wife cheated on you,” I could choose to believe the accusation and distance myself, or I can choose to be vulnerable and go to her and see if there’s any truth to the accusation. I can go to my wife because I recognize a pattern of faithfulness in our marriage. We confess our faults to one another, we love one another, and we serve one another. Similarly, I’ve studied the Scriptures and have found God to be faithful. I see that He’s good, He’s kind, and He’s loving. I see the pattern of faithfulness, so I’m going to choose to pursue God when questions come and walk through them with Him rather than distancing myself from Him to figure it all out by myself.
When our faith grows cold, we can return to the Lord in faithful stewardship. And when questions or accusations arise, we can respond by drawing nearer to God rather than running from Him. This is how we keep the coffee hot. If you have any questions that you’re struggling with, reach out to us and feel free to ask—we would love to answer any questions you may have or point you in the right direction! God bless you!
-Jordan Wilks