Productivity and the hustle are at an all-time high in society. Whether you’re trying to find your purpose, keeping busy at home or pushing through work, we’re often told to grab a cup of coffee and get more work done. The internet is simply filled to the brim with content about getting more work done, maintaining your mental health and balancing your work and home life. The hustle and consume lifestyle leaves little to no room for us to be quiet and focus on Jesus, and to really find ourselves in Him. Getting caught in the “drink more coffee, get more done” lifestyle often leaves us gasping for breath and in desperate need of a refresher and sometimes losing our identity along the way.
Drink more.
Maybe you’re the type of person who cannot function without a cup of coffee to kick start your day. The more that you need to get done, the more coffee you need to get it done. Your very identity rests in being a “coffee person”. I, more than anyone, am just as guilty of getting caught up in my task list, sitting down with a cup of coffee and simply trying to grind through. Well, simply grinding through is often how we get lost in the activity and forget the purpose for starting it. What we really need is a drink to refresh our spirit and refocus us on our identity.
“But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John chapter 4, verse 14)
This scripture in John chapter 4 reminds us that there is a source that we can drink from that will ensure that we will never need external satisfaction again. Our identity will be secured as we become joined with the One who brings us into eternity. Our relationship with Christ is something that we should be more focused on cultivating and growing, rather than one we acknowledge in passing. We can return to the source daily and start spiritually refreshed. There is something to be said about grabbing your cup of coffee with your bible. When the world you’re facing presents more challenges for you to tackle without taking something away, a reprieve to refresh your soul will benefit your mental and physical health. When you are refreshed and filled with the right drink, when you are filled from the right source, you allow inspiration and light to flow out of you.
Now do.
Maybe your need to be filled comes from a desire to fulfil your purpose and start a new venture that seems impossible. No amount of coffee can make the impossible a possibility – but God can.
“Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”” (Luke chapter 18, verse 27)
When we become consumed with external voices saying, “Drink more coffee, pick up more tasks, listen to more podcasts or learn a new skill” we lose track of the voice we should be listening to. We cannot pursue more if we are not first taking a step back to decide what God has for us. A part of stepping out into an action is in asking God for direction so you’ll know how to discern the path you need to be on. If you have a big dream that you’re wanting to hustle towards, spending time in prayer and cultivating a relationship with God will strengthen your resolve. The things that seemed impossible when you were isolated, uncertain and afraid now seem less daunting and more attainable.
In the culture of “drink more coffee and get it done” my question is simple – who is Jesus to you? The question stands in the face of a health crisis, in a state of rest, in the face of the hustle of daily life and when you are standing in front of too many options. Who is Jesus to you? Is He guiding your path or are you merely taking on the world one cup of coffee at a time? Take a pause in your life and dip into the very source of all creation that will never run dry. Find peace, rest, direction and rejuvenation in His presence. When you’ve found yourself in Him, cultivating a relationship with the Creator, then go ahead and drink more coffee and get to work.
Hailing from South Africa, Crystelda is an avid nerd and an unapologetic dreamer. With a BSc. Biological Sciences and BCom Hons in marketing, she has launched the Christian lifestyle blog - Selah Blogger and is the joint winner of the 2019 International Theology Award. The blog can be found at https://selahblogger.wordpress.com/ and her previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/crystelda-naidoo.html
