BY MIKE MCKAY: I saw something interesting this past week at a coffee shop my wife and I frequent.
One worker seemed to have just taken a triple-shot of espresso. She was on fire!
BY MIKE MCKAY: I saw something interesting this past week at a coffee shop my wife and I frequent.
One worker seemed to have just taken a triple-shot of espresso. She was on fire!
She was making drinks with gusto and flair. She was singing as she swirled caramel, with a swish and a flick, and a loud, "Yes!" She did a little dance as topped another drink with a mountain of whipped cream. All the while she was affirming each cup as a masterpiece with their destiny to bring pleasure and joy. She would then hand the drink to the lucky recipient with a huge smile and some words like, "Great choice! This is going make this night even better! Enjoy."
To each customer she offered affirmations, compliments, and fun sayings that brought on smiles. One customer, who had been watching her as he waited for his drink, said to her, "You must really love your job." She immediately stopped in mid-dash of chocolate flakes that she was adorning her latest drink-work-of-art, and looked at that customer and with a wide smile said, "Yes I do, I love our team, you wonderful guests, and (she kind of giggled) I really love coffee!"
And with a squeal she looked down at that drink, took a breath with a confident smile, and placed a final dash of those chocolate flakes to finish of the drink. It was obvious her heart was in this job.
Now on down on the other end of the counter was a different story. The worker preparing these drinks was not so chipper. Their face was almost blank as they slowly, s-l-o-w-l-y went about their tasks. They seemed confused as other workers had to remind them, "This was non-fat, not soy. No, see here it says 'no whip.' Sorry but this is supposed to be an iced coffee, not hot."
This not-with-it worker was also checking their phone at most every opportunity and kept looking at the clock. When they called out the names for a customer to receive their drinks this worker said it so softly most everyone around the counter asked what they said. The worker just ignored the questioning and turned away. It was obvious; their heart was not in this job.
It matters where our heart is. If the core of our being is happy, joyful, at peace, secure, content… it's going to show. So will the opposite. As Proverbs 4:23 says, the center of our being matters. Now a great truth of humanity is we can choose the condition of our heart. We can choose to forgive and melt away bitterness. We can choose to be content and push back that insatiable wanting. We can choose to enjoy the moment and ignore the what-ifs. Our choice affects our heart. Jesus put it this way:
Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What we treasure and value will shape the center of our being, which in turn influences our actions.
It was obvious what that first worker treasured. I'm not sure what that other worker valued, but it was not the job at hand. What do the actions of your life say about your heart?
Now, what make things a bit difficult is we were born with some heart issues (see Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23, Romans 7:15-20). Yet God wants to give us a new heart if we so choose.
Ezekiel 36:26: And I (God) will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
That's why King David of ancient Israel, after making a mess of things when his heart got him into all kinds of trouble, prayed this…
Psalms 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Turning to God in prayer is key for us experiencing this transformation.
Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
That amazing worker inspired me to think about my heart and what I treasure. I know I need God's work on my heart because it's all too easy to treasure things that influence my heart in a not-so-great way.
Here's a challenge from God's word…
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers (and sisters), whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Mike McKay is lead pastor of Cypress Church, which has a branch in Garden Grove.
