Like Grounds In My Coffee

I love the Keurig in our office.  Like so many of my coffee-drinking friends, I've discovered the joy of having the exact flavor I want, exactly when I want it, one fresh cup at a time.  Ahhh…  But every once in a while, if we don't keep it cleaned well enough, that wonderful machine dispenses a nasty brown blob of coffee grounds along with my Caribou blend.  Bleh….


I learned in Zephaniah today that when I get complacent in life (does that include failing to clean the Keurig?), God thinks of me about like I think of those coffee grounds in the bottom of my cup.  In Zephaniah 1:12, God says, "I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency."  That word "settled" actually comes from the wine industry and describes wine that has "set on it dregs" (equivalent in my world to coffee that has set on its grounds!)  It can also be translated "curdled," like old milk.  So choose any of those pictures you like, but it's probably not a swig you want to take!

I also realized that "complacency" doesn't always equal "inactivity."  It really has a lot more to do with attitude than action, a concept revealed in the next phrase: "…who say in their heart, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil'."  In other words, "God doesn't really care.  He's probably not going to bless me or punish me regardless of what I do."

You can work hard and make a lot of money (Luke 12:16-21 or James 4:13-17) or even impact a lot of people in ministry (see Matthew 7:21-23 or 1st Corinthians 3:10-15) but still be complacent.  When our attitude becomes "just doin' the daily grind" or even worse, "just lookin' out for #1," we're in danger of becoming dregs in the decanter or mud in the mug.  When that happens, all we might have accomplished with any lasting value is in danger of being washed down the drain like soured milk.  That's what happens in Zephaniah's next verse: "Their goods shall become plundered, and their houses a desolation; they shall build houses, but not inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine."  (See also the results in Luke 12, James 4, Matthew 7 and 1st Corinthians 3!)

So… today I'm reminded that:

1. God cares about what I do.
2. God cares about how I do it.
3. God cares about why I do it.

That's why I'm going to do my best at the things I know make a difference for His cause and do them with an attitude of "His glory first."  How about you?

Now… time for another cup of coffee.  Hope someone cleaned that Keurig!