Coffee, Coronavirus and Patience
We have shared lessons on Faith Over Fear from numerous pastors and worldwide ministries. But this week’s topic on patience comes from quite a different authority: a coffee maker. Armor of God Coffee is a Christian company that publishes a weekly devotional blog.
I admit to being a frou-frou coffee drinker. Whether it’s Mocha Frappuccino at Starbucks or the Caramel Swirl Latte at Dunkin Donuts, the sweeter the better. Drinking coffee black is just not me. But no matter how you like it, coffee is one of those great pleasures to drink in slowly and enjoy.
How does coffee have anything to do with Faith Over Fear? Because coffee is sipped, not gulped – the same patient approach that is essential to practicing faith.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan,
President, Syfan Logistics
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
Coffee and the coronavirus – a lesson in patience
The best method to cool down a hot cup of coffee, though more time-consuming, is the spoon method. Stir the coffee with a metal spoon, periodically lifting the spoon in the air to cool off, then dipping it to stir once more. When I force myself to slow down, have patience, and use the spoon, I’m always happier.
Right now, with the rapid spread of the coronavirus, our society is in a forced period of slowing down. Events are canceled, and plans are tenuous at best. No one knows when the world will return to “normal,” or whether it truly will.
Only God sees the full picture here. But if I let my anxious, rash heart calm down and patiently embrace the now, God’s glory can shine brighter through my hopeful patience.
As Jesus told His disciples in John 13:7 after He washed their feet, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later will understand.”
Some days, we are eager to be done with the quarantines and the restrictions brought on by the coronavirus. We grow restless for the future, when we can go to concerts, worship services, shopping malls and sporting events again.
If that’s you today, take heart: in God’s time. Just wait, be patient, take a breath and meditate on these Bible verses.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.”
James 5:8 “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”