The Eternal Moment

                A lie is much more easily accepted if it contains some portion of the truth. When Listerine was invented, it was initially used for medical purposes such as sanitizing cuts and scrapes or preparing for surgery. The creators of Listerine wanted to be able to sell their product to wider variety of clients since their product only appealed to those in the medical profession. To accomplish this goal, those involved first coined the phrase “halitosis” and began to spread information about this disorder that was affection almost all of humanity. They then suggested that this condition, more commonly known as “bad breath” could then be cured with the product Listerine and millions of dollars were spent to prevent the disorder. While it is true that Listerine does cure bad breath, this was not considered a problem until the creators of Listerine suggested it was one.  Also, another cure for this condition is the frequent consumption of water.

This Listerine ad is from the 1920's reading: "Don't fool yourself. Since halitosis never announces itself, to the victim, you simply cannot know when you have it. Are you unpopular with your own children? Make sure that you don't have halitosis. It is inexcusable. And unnecessary.

                One of the most frequently pieces of propaganda I currently hear being advertized to our society is the suggestion that we should “live in the moment.” I recently heard a song about a man who could not pay his rent so he spent all the money he had to “have a good time until my time is up.” Ephesians 5:16 seems to support this idea saying, “making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” This is the grain of truth that is presented to us in a lie. The verse in its context says this, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is” (vs. 15-17). Scripture suggest to us that we do need to live in the moment and make the most of the time that we have and in doing this we should be even more careful to submit every moment to the Lord and follow Him even more closely in wisdom and understanding. The propagated version of this truth suggest to us the lie that to live in the moment means to ignore consequences, but the truth is that living in the moment means to be even more wise and cautious to follow the Lord’s will. As Christ Followers, we must live with eternity in mind—live in the eternal moment.

                Am I living with a since of urgency to follow God’s will? Do I accept the lie that I will be able to submit to God tomorrow and miss my opportunity today? Have I bought into the lie that it is acceptable to ignore consequences of tomorrow for today’s pleasures? How can I change my attitude to keep eternity in mind? Am I considering how eternity affects right now?

                Lord, please help me to be wise and make every effort to understand Your will so that I do not hesitate to follow You in every moment. Help me to be even more careful knowing that the days are evil and remember to live in the eternal moment. Amen.