Shelf Life

On a Saturday morning with nothing profound to write about, I started thinking . . .

I love bananas, but they don't last very long after you buy them. Costco always has good prices on bananas, but you have to buy four pounds, and it is hard to eat four pounds of bananas before they begin to get too ripe. Look carefully at the bananas pictured. You can see the little spots appearing on the peeling which indicates that the banana is fully ripe. In another day, they will still be OK for making banana bread, but they won't taste their best.

On the other hand, as far as I've been able to tell, Sweet 'n Low pretty much lasts forever. I was making myself a cup of hot tea last night and noticed that the little dish we keep on the countertop stocked with Sweet 'n Low packets was empty. I went to the pantry to restock the dish from the big "club size" box and noticed that finally the box is getting low. Sometime in the next few months, it will be empty. I say "finally" because I have moved that box from one kitchen to another in three different moves over a period of about fourteen years. That's right. We bought that Sweet n' Low from Sam's Club in, as near as I can figure, 1994. I can't tell that the taste has deteriorated at all. Whatever you think of the taste of Sweet n' Low, you have to admit that it has a fantastic shelf life!

As always, I'm looking for some kind of spiritual analogy and I think I've found a good one. The nature of God is like the Sweet n' Low . . . it stays the same year after year. God is eternal and unchanging. His love for his people is constant and steady. He always wants what is best for us. No matter how often we sin, he is always ready and willing to forgive us if we will only repent and seek his forgiveness. The same is true for his Son. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

On the other hand, the opportunities God gives us may be more like the bananas. Sweet n' Low might last fourteen years; sometimes bananas do well to stay in the best condition for fourteen hours after you purchase them. Opportunities to help people and influence the direction of their lives may be here today and gone tomorrow. The old saying "Strike while the iron is hot" could not be more true. Whenever we find a teachable moment when someone is open to hearing the gospel message, we should be prepared to walk through that open door. Human nature is very different from God's nature. We humans are unstable and constantly wavering. Today someone might be willing to sit with you and talk earnestly about his soul. Tomorrow, his interests may have changed and he no longer has time for such things. Like a spoiled banana, a lost opportunity is something that once lost can never be regained.

So, eat your bananas while they are still good and don't put off until tomorrow any opportunity you're given to influence someone in the direction of heaven.