Tastes Great, Less Filling

In the 1970s, Lite Beer from Miller made a name for themselves with an ongoing ad campaign. Featuring retired athletes and some other celebrities, the commercials centered around arguments in regards to the beer. Was its best quality that it Tastes Great! or that it's Less Filling! I came from a family of abstinence but still remember them and remember them as being hilarious. I read somewhere that Miller's campaign was ranked eighth best in advertising history. No surprise there.

We just finished our second day of basketball camp. It's my job to put out the coolers each morning, filled with ice water filled Powerade containers. In introducing me, our director, Trey Austin, asked if I had a special recipe for the H2O which we encourage the kids to drink constantly. I replied that the campers had a choice this year, REGULAR water and FAT FREE water. I made little signs for each container as you can see above. You know and I know both are filled with water from the same tap and ice from the same machine. And yet, I have heard spirited discussions about which tastes better and the relative merits of both options. Somehow, there is a pre-adolescent and adolescent lesson in there, probably along the line of the emperor and his non-existent clothes. I may switch the signs tomorrow to see if anyone can tell the difference. My guess is no.....because there is no difference.

We argue about stupid things, don't we? Things that don't matter. Things we can't back up. Things with no right or wrong answer. In doing so, we divide families and destroy precious relationships. There are things worth making a stand on and things to let roll away, kind of like water under the bridge. When Jesus turned water into wine, the water was absolutely ordinary. He made the difference. I read no arguments of which of the six stone jars had the best water. All that mattered was the One using the water for the greater good. The best thing we will do with that water this week in our gym is to quench thirst. That is what it was made for and not for disagreements.

Applicable quote of the day:
To turn water into wine, and what is common into what is holy, is indeed the glory of Christianity.
Frederick William Robertson


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybook.com