refills

i recently witnessed an intriguing pattern taking place in the local starbucks. as i sat there writing, i noticed than an unusually large amount of customers had come in and not only ordered their teas and coffees, but actually sat around (some even stood) gulping and chugging them as quickly as they possibly could. now originally i had thought wow, these people really must love their beverage to drink it that fast (my black pike place is perfection in a cup, but it takes me at least an hour to enjoy the warm delight of a grande sized drink).

as i reflected on this more and more throughout the week knowing it had some theological implications to it (which is almost an embarrassing snapshot of where my brain tends to dwell in any given week), i realized something profound. it wasn’t necessarily their love and/or passion for the coffee or tea they were consuming, although they obviously did quite enjoy it, it was the cheap refills they could get without having to pay full price again that forced them to down their drink with pride and speed, even at the expense of either brain freeze or burned tongue.

one man literally refilled his iced tea six times (from when i was there). another lady was so desperate for a cheap refill that after ordering four other drinks (hot drinks, mind you) to go, in the carrying case and all, she still sat down and drank hers as fast as she possibly could, to save $1.50. she even noticed my observing her, and laughingly said “i really just want a cheap refill before i go!”

this is what is happening with many “christians” in the “coffee-shop” of the evangelical world, the church. they go to church on sunday, to taste Jesus in a way. they like the way He tastes. there are many churches proclaiming a Jesus that is (only) appealing and wonderful and delicious, where all are singing “oh taste and see that the LORD is good!” (psalm 34:8), just like an extra hot gingerbread latte, with whip cream in a red cup. but that taste of the Jesus they like and enjoy comes with a cost… they have to sacrifice their sunday morning. their sleep. their money. their football. whatever it may be, to taste Jesus first requires some sort of sacrifice.

here’s the problem. as with the starbucks refills (for $0.50 cents in case you were wondering), most christians who attend services on sunday morning not only go to taste Jesus once, they make that time and take that time to “refill” or get as much of Jesus as they possibly can while they are there, because they want to make sure they get their money’s worth of what they have sacrificed for Him. they diminish the value of the drink, when the focus is on the cheap refill.

nobody wants to really go to starbucks and spend two, three, four or five dollars on a drink they really enjoy, and have to turn right back around and buy another one. but if you really love the drink, you happily will. you’ll even come back later that day, and even the next day, for more. the amount of worth you have placed in something is reflected in the sacrifices you freely make for it.

if you are the christian who goes to church to not only taste Jesus, but to get your cheap refills of Him through the preaching or the worship songs or the fellowship or the Christian talk or whatever it may be, trying to fill your soul and stuff your heart and overflow your spirit with as much Jesus as you possibly can to hopefully carry you through the next week until you have to pay full price for Him again the following sunday, then i beg you to reconsider your passion for the drink for the drink’s sake, instead of the refills.

to “be filled with the Spirit,” as scripture (ephesians 5:18) commands all believers and followers of Jesus, is something that is done sacrificially (2 samuel 24:24), continually (1 thessalonians 5:17), joyfully (1 thessalonians 5:16), and patiently (luke 4:1-2).

and Jesus, is our example of all. He could have paid a cheap price for us, those whom He was sent to redeem. but He didn’t and He couldn’t, because the price for sin was far too expensive. “and if you call on Him as Father (God) who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 peter 1:18-19).

drink Jesus. enjoy Jesus. be filled with Jesus. be satisfied in Jesus. be still before Jesus. go share Jesus.

then, come back for some more of Jesus.

“o God, you are my God; earnestly i seek you; my soul thirsts for you…my soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when i remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night…” psalm 63:1, 5