Once again I find myself here in Starbucks enjoying a delicious cup of coffee (venti caramel machiatto with whip). I have noticed that on my cup there is a warning. Only, its different from any warning I have ever seen. It says “Careful, the beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot.” This is in no doubt on the cup because of the lady who sued McDonalds a few years ago because her coffee burned her. But I really want you to notice the spin in this warning. The language is very flowery. It almost makes me want burn myself with this hot coffee. It makes it sound like if you get burned, maybe scarred for life, its gonna be the best pain you have ever felt, because the coffee is awesome.
This whole coffee cup situation go me thinking about spin. I think that this is how the world disguises sin. Like the coffee, we know that things are going to hurt in the long run but the idea of the enjoyment we will get out of it supercedes any idea of a consequence. While the Bible lays it out for us “the wages of sin is death,” the world gives us a Starbuucks warning, “this sin you are about to have the time of your life committing is gonna cause some problems down the road, but don’t worry about that now. The sin is awesome.”
I live in the Bay Area, and this is the attitude. Here we don’t like to focus on the consequences. People out here like to look at short-term gains and forget about the long-term pain. “Warning promiscuous sex is totally awesome but might cause a few problems later.” Flower it up! Like the old WWII era hit song said, “accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative.” If we by into this, we will became a lost and hopeless people. God calls us to focus on the long term. To sacrifice in the immediate future in order to receive our rewards in eternity. I believe that this is the core problem of Christianity today. It’s all about now. What are the immediate benefits of becoming a Christian, what can the church give me today? What do I get out of the music? How is the preacher feeding me? What can a small group or Sunday School class do for me?
We need a perspective change. The Bible is constantly reminding us that we are in a marathon, not a sprint; this life is like the first step. While it is important that we have a good first step, not a lot of marathoners blame their first step for losing a race. We have to have an eternal perspective. We have to look at what our sin is going to do to ourselves and to those we love in the long run. The immediate result will not last or be remembered if the ultimate result is disastrous.
So here’s a warning for life. "Careful, the delicious sin you are about to enjoy will burn you, scar you for life, taint every good thing you do, and come back to haunt you in ways you could never imagine. Trust me, I've seen it and I've experienced it." O I don't think that will fit on a cup.
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This whole coffee cup situation go me thinking about spin. I think that this is how the world disguises sin. Like the coffee, we know that things are going to hurt in the long run but the idea of the enjoyment we will get out of it supercedes any idea of a consequence. While the Bible lays it out for us “the wages of sin is death,” the world gives us a Starbuucks warning, “this sin you are about to have the time of your life committing is gonna cause some problems down the road, but don’t worry about that now. The sin is awesome.”
I live in the Bay Area, and this is the attitude. Here we don’t like to focus on the consequences. People out here like to look at short-term gains and forget about the long-term pain. “Warning promiscuous sex is totally awesome but might cause a few problems later.” Flower it up! Like the old WWII era hit song said, “accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative.” If we by into this, we will became a lost and hopeless people. God calls us to focus on the long term. To sacrifice in the immediate future in order to receive our rewards in eternity. I believe that this is the core problem of Christianity today. It’s all about now. What are the immediate benefits of becoming a Christian, what can the church give me today? What do I get out of the music? How is the preacher feeding me? What can a small group or Sunday School class do for me?
We need a perspective change. The Bible is constantly reminding us that we are in a marathon, not a sprint; this life is like the first step. While it is important that we have a good first step, not a lot of marathoners blame their first step for losing a race. We have to have an eternal perspective. We have to look at what our sin is going to do to ourselves and to those we love in the long run. The immediate result will not last or be remembered if the ultimate result is disastrous.
So here’s a warning for life. "Careful, the delicious sin you are about to enjoy will burn you, scar you for life, taint every good thing you do, and come back to haunt you in ways you could never imagine. Trust me, I've seen it and I've experienced it." O I don't think that will fit on a cup.
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