Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

In my family we have a running joke about noisy kids. We laugh about getting them to go to sleep by giving them “purple Kool-Aid” which, of course, is actually Nyquil. Now, before any of you go calling family services, we don’t actually carry out this practice; it is strictly a joke.

There is, however, a more sinister nature to everyone’s favorite fruit-flavored drink. We’ve all heard of cults that use the drink to deliver drugs to their members, either to make them easier to manipulate or as a means of mass suicide. By now, most rational adults know that if you are at a large compound in the middle of the New Mexico desert and the leader claims that UFOs are riding a comet to take us home to Jesus, you shouldn’t drink the Kool-Aid.

So, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Whew, crisis averted.

But what about all the other poisons we drink in? And no, I’m not talking about the nationwide plot to put nicotine in Coca-Cola to make it more addicting. I’m not even preaching against the dangers of alcohol.

No, the poison I’m talking about is all the things we drink from the cult of culture. Things like, “You are all that matters.” “Follow your heart.” “You can be whatever you want; just put your mind to it.” “The government can fix your problems.” “Science can fix your problems.” “Religion can fix your problems.” There are countless others, and I could go on listing them for pages. However, it is much easier to simply tell you the truth.

The truth is: If you want any hope or any fulfillment, God is the only place. We look so often to what the world has to offer; but at best it is water that will cause us to thirst again and at worst it is poison that puts us under their control and kills us.

Jesus said He is the living water that would satisfy us so we will never thirst again. He poured Himself out. Be satisfied in Him. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.