Lessons from Bottled Water

In the summer, we keep bottled water for quick access in the ancient frig in our garage. On a recent trip to the store to grab a few items, I saw that a “name brand” water, bottled by a “name brand” soda company, was on sale, therefore the cheapest. Therefore, I’m in. I loaded up the buy-two-cases-get-one-free on the cart and off I went.

Several days later, one of my sons came in the garage after a run and grabbed a bottle. After taking a few gulps, he thought the taste was a little odd and looked at the ingredients. Among the three, yes three, ingredients aside from actual water, there it was: salt. Or sodium, as they use its formal name.

Here’s the company’s explanation: Natural, purified water, in and of itself, has no taste. So bottled water companies add ingredients to give water a “taste” so we will say, “Man, this water is so good. Let’s buy more!”

But even when the company claims the level of salt is “negligible amounts,” you are still drinking something that can actually keep you thirsty, thereby, causing you to open up another bottle.

While God created everything, all too often, we think the things of God have no taste, not enough flavor, for our cultured appetites.

Satan has created nothing, but knows well that we have a taste for the natural and the things of this world. So he adds ingredients and makes mixtures to create evil from good with the goal of giving us a “taste” for things he can use to capture and control us.

Sex is a great example. The enemy tells us, “Only in the marriage bed? Are you kidding me? That can never satisfy your appetite, plus why wait? Do what comes natural. Why wait for supernatural!”

And whiskey, for example, all natural ingredients that God made, but mixed together and processed and you have a recipe for one night of destruction or a life of misery. And unfortunately, there are many things like this in his arsenal.

The devil’s additives create addictions.

So, we have to be careful that Satan isn’t adding “salt” to our “water,” because once we acquire the taste and begin to drink, he’ll slowly, first in “negligible amounts,” keep adding more and more over time until we’re poisoned. And that is always his end game.

Is there anything in your life right now where you are saying, “As long as I keep this in check, I’ll be okay” or “a little of this isn’t going to really hurt me or anyone else.” Be careful, you’re getting salt added to your water and that’s how the poisoning begins.

Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? … Does fresh water come from a well full of salt water? Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. —James 3:11-13 CEV