Monday, June 11, 2018

Spiritual Pacification with Marijuana & Coffee

Christians who advocate smoking pot: It is like putting a spiritual pacifier in your mouth. I know from life experience. I've seen a lot of Christians who justify "partaking of the herb" by saying that it is a medicinal plant God put on the earth. Consider this: The very ground on which we walk is cursed (see Genesis 3).

There is other plant life God put on earth that is considered "medicinal" in some respects too, like peyote, shrooms, ayahuasca, coca leaves... Should we be consuming them recreationally justifying it by lying to ourselves that we are reaping health benefits from doing so, or that we are more happy and productive with them? Where does one draw the line? Even coffee and sugar have several similar and potentially destructive effects as many hard drugs, including addiction and impairment.

Something that bugs me is this coffee mug I see in many Christian homes that reads, "Jesus and coffee." Wow. Just think about the implications of that. It is not a cute, benign, fun statement. Jesus and Cheetos. Jesus and ice cream. Jesus and (attach any preferred idol here). How many of you can't even get your day started without a cup of coffee? I bet you aren't happy when you can't have it. You feel the withdrawals even if you say you can manage. What things do you cling to that hold an equal or higher position in life than Christ? Even if you aren't a coffee addict, why would you want to set an example with a statement like "Jesus and coffee?" It seems like mixing the holy with the profane to me.

Here is where you roll your eyes and say, "Lighten up, George."

Go ahead. Take a moment to savor the flavor of your thoughts. Take it lightly if you will. I'm just trying to get us all to consider what we think we can't live without and what types of examples we are setting for others. We've got a lot of problems that aren't being addressed because of laziness and lukewarm attitudes. Ever had lukewarm coffee? You want to spit it out right? What did Christ say about lukewarm Christians? Even though it may be tiring and cumbersome ask yourself, is your spiritual condition worth the hassle of self-examination?

It all comes back to the pride of idolatry. Pharmekeia, that is, the sorcery in the works of man's hands which seeks pleasure aside from God's direction. "Jesus and coffee" is not a message from God. It is profanity.

And everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:3