Daily Dependence

What are you dependent on?

And I'm not talking about classic addictions like alcoholism or pornography (though those are relevant as well). I'm talking about the things that essentially determine your mood for the day.

Let's take coffee as a simple example.

Does your mood depend on whether you have had your morning coffee?

This is a fairly common one. I've heard the phrase "Oh, he hasn't had his coffee yet" multiple times before to excuse sour dispositions. It is as if we are entitled to a certain set of comfort amenities, and if we don't get these things we earn the right to be disagreeable with others.

"I have the right to do anything," you say - but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything" - but I will not be mastered by anything. ~1 Corinthians 6:12

Though Paul makes this comment as a lead-in to discussing sexual immorality with the Corinthians, I believe it is still applicable in many contexts. Essentially, there is incredible freedom in Christ, but we must be careful not to give up that freedom by becoming a slave to some worldly object.

Let's stick with the coffee example. I'm not a huge coffee fan, but I like a good cup every so often. And we have the freedom to like, drink, and enjoy coffee. God made coffee beans and we have this refreshing beverage that helps us perk up in the morning.

But in our freedom, we are called to find our complete satisfaction in God. Christ tells us that he provides the water of eternal life and we will never be thirsty again (John 4:14). And so we insult our Lord and Savior when we depend on anything else for our joy and satisfaction in life. In every moment, good or bad, we have a responsibility to honor God and to bring Him glory.

If we actually need something else to allow us to please God in a given moment (like coffee), then our priorities are not right.  God is all satisfying and should be motivation enough to show love to others.

I am aware that my coffee example is silly, but put your own personal addictions in there and what I am saying rings true. We are such an entitled people... if we don't get our morning coffee, or our lunch break is cut short, or they are all out of Skittles in the vending machine, or a breaking news segment cuts our favorite show short we suddenly stop reflecting the loving God who created us and we excuse the sin that results.

The list is nearly endless. Look at yourself and your own habits. What things, when taken away, turn you into someone who doesn't choose to please God first? There you will find your daily addiction to pleasure and comfort. Instead, choose to appreciate those things for what they are, but give every moment to God and reflect his love in every moment, despite the circumstances.