Have a cup of tea

I love tea. For many years I have enjoyed a cup most every day. In the south, iced tea is served “sweetened” with just the right amount of sugar to keep a person sipping for hours. Some places add a slice of lemon to add to the flavors and refreshment. Other places serve tea with crumpets or scones to offer an afternoon tea-break.

When looking in the grocery store for tea to replenish the shelf, I noted the varieties available. One can get just “tea” – you know, that orange pekoe blend that is what I first think about with tea. In today’s world, that “orange pekoe” can now be decaffeinated to or go with the “Cold Brew” option available both as a single cup or family size. If you want a flavored tea, the options continue to grow. How about honey vanilla chamomile, earl grey, darjeeling or a variety of herb teas like raspberry, orange and spice, or perfect peach? Then we can go to various colors: green tea, white tea, or black tea.

After the “tea” is selected, one can then decide for cream and / or sugar, or one of the many options in the dairy case for an extra within the cream – like French vanilla, amaretto, or hazelnut.I’m not a connoisseur of tea. Believe me, if I were taste-testing I wouldn’t be able to tell which flavor or type of tea is in my cup. But I have learned something about myself related to tea. The preference for tea with milk and sugar is definitely higher than just plain tea. On a cold day I prefer hot day, and on a hot day I prefer cold tea (with sugar like found in the south.) Then it came to preference for cream rather than milk and of course adding sugar was great too. Then I preferred French vanilla over cream and definitely over milk. Then I had to have 2 cups, not just 1.

And then it hit me.

This simple cup of tea could become a cup of sin for me. How- you ask? By letting my thoughts and desires escalate to what I want. For me, that simple cup of tea was not just simple – like turning on the tap for cool water. I found myself thinking of which flavor or addition or hot / cold or which cup to serve myself that silly cup of tea. It wasn’t just a simple cup of tea anymore, but a progression of wanting something more than what I had been having before. How could I make that cup of tea better? Doing things better is fine. I am an educator with goal of helping others learn so that they have something more than they had before. But… that “more” can become an obsession that does not allow satisfaction in the simple.

As I was driving home from Omaha after a wonderful vacation in Denver with family, I heard a message by Jack Graham on the local radio station. He started his message with “We all worship something. Who or what is your God?”

And you know what came to mind for me? That silly cup of tea… For each of us serving Christ, the god that directs us away from worshipping the Most High alone might be something small that just gets bigger and bigger within our thoughts and desires. Of course, I don’t fall down and worship tea – it does not sit on a table and I bow before it. But the thoughts and desires can turn to fleshly desires such that we cross the line of OK to sinful.

Jack Graham points out that idolatry is a serious sin with serious consequences – so if we practice idolatry in any form with our hearts, hands and mind there are severe repercussions. Rather than turning away from anything that takes too much of our attentions, we often change our view of God. He said, “We want a God that will tolerate our excesses and our lifestyles as we choose.” [True Worship, Sunday June 14, 2009 found at http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/powerpoint_with_jack_graham/20090614/ ]

Excesses…. That word hit me…. How often am I not a content person with what I DO have? I want something more… something better… or simply something different. Again, I do think progress moves us on from one place to another. But what about the exclusivity of Christ and Biblical standards that are given?

Christ calls us to a life not of personal fulfillment, but a life of self-denial, a life of service to Him. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. “ (Matthew 16:24)Jesus tells his disciples in relation to seeking treasures, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body than clothing…. And do not seek what you shall eat, and what you shall drink, and do not keep worrying… But seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:22-34 selections)

Dr. Graham said, “We ultimately become what we worship. If we are dedicated to food, we will become gluttons. If we are dedicated to drink we will become drunkards… If we are dedicated to self and personal fulfillment we will neglect the compassion and love for Christ...” We ought to have a life of service, commitment, and devotion and worship and love and sacrifice…

Who is God? He is the Lord above. All are directed to “have no other gods before me….” (Exodus 20:3)

Keep watch within your own life to what starts as OK, but then becomes bigger and bigger such that the fine line is crossed. The “self-desire’ becomes too big and our “serving Him” becomes smaller.