“EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!”

“Say goodbye to stress; Lose 10 pounds this week; Have thicker hair; Discover Wealth; Find happiness in 60 seconds!” These are but a few select front page magazine topics taken from a couple of currently popular editions at the grocery checkout line. Of course, magazine companies are in the business to promote and sell their products. I find myself lured into picking up and turning the cover to read. If the consumer were not interested in these topics, companies could not be successful.

Is the human condition so frail that we are in bondage to the world philosophies on subjects of stress, beauty, wealth, and happiness? These topics are only a few of what seems to drive magazine and book sales. One book that is timeless and, in fact, has been in circulation for over fifteen hundred years is the Bible. Within its pages God councils the reader about stress, beauty and age, a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with money. These areas of interest all belong to the conditions of living in this world, so maybe this is why we are tempted to look for solutions from within it. But, then, why does God council us about these conditions? Although physical and practical needs may be limited to the material realm, how we deal with them prepares us for heaven. 

Every generation tries to outwit the passage of time and its effects on the physical body or our bank account. While we can do much to create a healthier environment for ourselves and others, our window of time to do so is limited by the clock. The question remaining is, how much time do we want to invest in what is temporary versus what is eternal? As you and I stand before The God of the universe, and one day we will stand before Him, the only redeemable attribute will be, “I desired to do Your will!”