I’ve been drinking caffeine since I was about 10 years old. I didn’t start drinking it regularly until I was 12 or 13, but before that, I would sip my dad’s coffee whenever I could. I’ve never been big on energy drinks, but coffee has always been my go-to.
Its been about 8 years now, and I can definitely say I had become dependent on it. I always tried to convince myself I wasn’t, but I knew I was. I might go a day or two without it if I was really trying, but even then, I still felt like I needed something to hold me over, like tea or a piece of chocolate. And honestly, the first few years of drinking it, I didn’t feel any need or conviction to stop. Mind you, I wasn’t living fully for the Lord until I was around 17.
But when I was 18 years old, I started having convictions about it. I felt like I needed to stop and depend on God alone. I even heard God say to stop but played it off as maybe just my thoughts. I consistently made excuses. For times, I would cut back and “try” to stop, but it would only last about a week or two before I went back to daily drinking.
“It’s not that bad, it gives me energy, and I can be a happier person around people and feel less tired.”—I would always say to myself. But in reality, I would drink a coffee and feel really good for maybe an hour or two, but then I would crash and become even more tired than before.
I started having extreme anxiety, and things that shouldn’t be a big deal became a big deal. I noticed my sleep not being as deep as it could be. My life was a roller coaster of emotions, and I didn’t really know why. Recently, around a month and a half ago, I heard again that God wants me to stop drinking coffee. This time, I actually did! But I still drank tea and other drinks with caffeine in them. I went for about three weeks with no caffeinated coffee.
Then some friends of mine wanted to do the Daniel Fast, which I had done last year as well. So I said, “Sure, that could be great!” At the time, I didn’t put too much thought into caffeine because I was already not drinking coffee. It seemed like a breeze.
Two days before the fast, I got a desire that I regret acting on now, but nonetheless, I did it. I bought a yerba mate as a last hoo-ra of caffeine before the fast and drank it over two days. I know 160 mg of caffeine isn’t a lot, especially over two days, but it was intense for me. I definitely experienced some minor symptoms of caffeine withdrawal at the beginning of the fast. But two weeks into the fast, I started to experience something that I had, up until that point, forgotten.
I had energy! Real energy! For the first time in a long time, it seemed like my energy throughout the day was consistent. I didn’t feel like I needed anything to “get me through the day,” but that I was sufficient. I stopped having extreme anxieties because when the same issues would come up, I was able to regulate them so much easier. My heartbeat and breathing patterns were able to be calm and collected, and anxiety never reached panic.
The biggest point I got from this experience, which is what I believe God wants you to get also, is that when He says to do something, you better do it. Don’t hesitate—just do what He says. He may not be telling you to quit caffeine, but what if He’s telling you to quit something else? Social media? Smoking? Gaming?
What is the thing in your life that God is telling you to give up? Give it up! He has your best interest in mind. He isn’t trying to take something away from you. He is trying to give you something you might not even know you need. He knows you better than you know yourself.
Trust Him. Obey Him. Let Him be your Lord and Father.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11
Thank you for reading my testimony!
References:
Crossway Bibles. (2001). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway. Retrieved from https://www.esv.org/Jeremiah+29/