"Shhh...don't be so loud," I sometimes whisper to my perky husband if he attempts to share his perkiness with me before I've had my first cup of coffee.
You see, a perfect morning for me begins with the push of a button on our Keurig coffee maker. I love the sound as it begins filling my favorite red, pottery mug with hot, Caribou coffee. Next, I swirl the cream and sweetener until just the right shade of khaki appears. Then, holding my mug oh so carefully, I sip slowly and deliberately, to awaken my taste buds, and stir my senses with the rich aroma. Mmm...delightful.
I'm cracking myself up just thinking about what I do to wake up in the mornings!
In our Stronger Bible study, Angela Thomas talks about how our natural nature (the one we're born with, you know, the sin nature?) battles our new nature (the supernatural one we're re-born with in Christ). The two natures are constantly battling one another because we still live in our fleshly bodies. Her coffee analogy really hit home with me.
So if I say, "Oh, that's just how I am in the mornings," and my family is thinking, "She's grumpy, unkind, and she'll bite your head off if you speak to her before she's had her coffee", then I'm not revealing my new nature in Christ. In fact, with that attitude, I've already allowed the enemy to defeat me before my day even gets started.
When did I begin allowing a cup of coffee to dictate my attitude?
It's imperative that we are deliberate in giving Jesus complete control of everything about our lives, including our mama bear-like growls in the mornings. If we just chalk it up to, "Hey, that's just the way I am," then what we're really saying is, " Lord, I don't believe You can make me a new creation."
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)
However we start our day, our minds and our eyes must go straight to Jesus. We need to think about Him, and talk to Him, even if we don't feel like it. Our spiritual mugs need to be filled to the brim with the attitude of Christ, so as we begin spilling out onto people, we spill out Jesus and not growls.
Our families are usually the first ones to receive what spills out of us first thing in the morning. That's why we must allow Christ to renew our minds and acknowledge Him before our feet hit the floor.
We need to be filled to the brim with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit each morning. We need to be filled with the sweet aroma of Christ. So, when we're tipped over during the day, we will spill out Jesus instead of spoiled milk.
"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15 NIV)
Lord, fill me with Your rich aroma. May I be a sweet fragrance to You and to those around me today.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
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