Tuesday, July 14, 2015

A Hot Cup of Tea

I like tea; dare I say, tea is my favorite beverage. I like all varieties of tea - from exotic to cheap. What I really love about imbibing a cup of tea is the length of time it takes to drink a cup; the heat as it flows from my mouth; the distinctive flavor; and knowing that it's good for me. Tea becomes more enjoyable when I share with a group of friends or when its complimented with the perfect snack.
Source

The enjoyment of my tea diminishes when I attempt to use the same teabag or filter repeatedly. The first cup is great, the second one is mediocre and by the third time it's just hot water - no good.

While running the other day, I realized that my spiritual life can become like that third cup of tea - trying to reap the benefits of a fresh cup of tea by using a stale teabag. We do that - we figure if we go to church on Sunday and heard a good word - that should last us for a while. Or we figure that we're so steeped in our relationship that missing one or two days of quiet time won't matter. But it matters, as you know something is missing. Without the teabag there is no tea.

That teabag is like the Word; we are the hot water. We need to steep ourselves in the Word frequently, often, daily, hourly.  We have to sit and meditate before we can taste the benefits. Sometimes we need to be re-heated. So don't cheat yourself out of the enjoyment of a good cup of tea. In the same way, with spiritual matters take time every day, dare I say often, to spend time in the Word and learn and grow from it - don't simply rely on knowledge as it will grow stale after a while.

Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! Proverbs 8:34 [NLT]

Give us today the food we need,...Matthew 6:11 [NLT]

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11 [NLT]

As someone once said, "Life is like a good cup of tea; it all depends on how you make it."

Are you cheating yourself out of a good cup of tea?






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