Handling Coffee Addictions

The increase in the number of successful coffee shops across America within the past fifteen years exemplifies this generation's fascination with this caffeinated beverage. Even though the price of coffee at large chains (such as Starbucks) is not exactly affordable on a daily basis for many people, the popularity of these coffee shops continues to grow, and with it grows this generation's addiction to caffeine. This addiction, interestingly enough, if an often overlooked problem in the Christian church.

While pastors have well beat into their congregations the dangers of sexual immorality, the evils of alcohol, and even the need to exercise their bodies, they have largely ignored the issue of caffeine addiction. This seemingly minuscule problem is often only discussed in church as only being tied to monetary issues, like suggesting that congregation members give up their daily cup of Starbucks coffee and instead donate that money to a mission's fund. Rarely ever is Christians' abuse of coffee as a substance that they are dependent upon for energy addressed in the church.

Sadly, this often overlooked problem is probably monumental in many Christian (and non Christian) lives. To make matters even worse, addiction to caffeine is often actually a bit of a "bragging rights" topic among different people. For example, it is fairly common to hear a teacher tell a class, "I'm sorry, I am not used to teaching a morning class without first drinking my coffee." Or perhaps the commonly heard "I pulled an all-nighter last night; I have to have my coffee." Or yet even worse, those few friends of ours that find that only one cup of coffee no longer does the trick; they daily inhale three full cups and regularly let anyone and everyone know that with little shame.

While coffee (and thus caffeine) is perfectly legal and fairly "safe" to imbibe, regular dependence upon any substance should cause us to question our use of it. Perhaps the greatest indication of a problem with caffeine is signified in people's common choice of putting the adjective "my" in front of a statement describing a coffee addiction (example: "my cup of coffee"). However, the lack of discussion on this growing problem in society does not mean that it should be continued to be ignored by the church. Our bodies are created in the image of God and are the dwelling place of His Holy Spirit. We are commanded to take care of them (1 Corinthians 3: 16-17). Additionally, placing our ability to function fully upon anything besides Christ himself is a dangerous trap of idolatry that we must avoid. It really does not matter how much we are paying for a cup of coffee; if we are finding that our ability to function is dependent upon the stimulant of caffeine, then we have overstepped our enjoyment of a warm beverage and allowed it to become an idol in our lives.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the occasional cup of coffee. As with many other issues in life, moderation is key. Go ahead and enjoy a relaxing conversation with an old friend at your favorite coffee shop. Allow the warm fragrance to great you on some cold winter morning. However, do not allow your happiness to become dependent upon any daily intake of caffeine. Instead, seek your energy from other forms, such as eating a healthier diet, exercising more (it really helps!), and simply getting more sleep by managing your time more efficiently. Finally, if you realize that a caffeine addiction may be a problem in your life, seek help. While asking a professional counselor to assist you in overcoming your dependence may be a bit extreme, there are still other things you can do. Ask a close friend to hold you accountable in weaning yourself off of coffee. Avoid places where you buy your daily beverage, and of course, ask God to help you overcome this issue in your life. He truly cares about every little part of you and understands the exhaustion you may feel in your life. However, He also yearns for you to fulfill that need for an extra boost of energy in Him and not some caffeinated beverage. Seek His face early in the morning hours-instead of running to a cup of coffee.