Wayne Weekly “Warning…Not for Human Consumption”

We recently had a guest scheduled in for a Spotlight radio interview. The topic was a helpful one, call “811 before you dig”. 811 is the phone number that diggers are supposed to call before boring into the ground. No one wants to hit a buried gas, electric, or water line! The utility companies respond and mark where the buried lines are before the dig. That’s a good service and it’s free!

Our guest was heading up a promotion campaign, and as part of that effort had brought up to the station cookies decorated with a business size “edible” card that instructed people to dial 811 before digging. Pretty “sweet” idea!

As things go, a few of us were testing or discussing the cookies and it was soon discovered that the “edible” message card on top of the cookie, was edible…I mean you didn’t die if you ate it. A slight sweet flavor was detected as the “card” dissolved in the mouth. It seemed weird eating such a thing. The jokes began to quickly come forth from staff. Things like over the top sugar levels, what the printed film could possibly be made of, and, well you know, stuff like that.

Finally, our Chief Engineer blurted out, “Warning…not for human consumption!”

Well, it was a lighthearted moment during the business of the day. But the warning of those words, “not for human consumption”, stuck with me.

In reality in today’s world, much of what we’re surrounded with should contain the warning, “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION”. Much of what is offered to us on television, in the movie theater, in video games, on-line, and in print is simply, bad for our health. That would not only mean our mental, emotional and spiritual health, but our physical health as well. I think we all know that much of what the world offers as entertainment and fun, ends up destroying individuals and families. We need to think of where we socialize as well. Environments can be toxic.

How much we have heard in the past few years that Christians have freedoms and we shouldn’t “judge” an individual’s convictions. All of a sudden social drinking is “OK”. Suddenly places that were once taboo for believers are now considered fine, as long as some limitations are set. Whatever happened to the “appearance of evil”? What ever happened to “not being conformed to this world”? What ever happened to “come out from among them and be separate”?

I am not advocating a loveless relationship for those outside of the household of faith…God forbid. However, God’s Word is clear about who we hang out with and where we hang out.

Perhaps it’s time to take a personal inventory, and time to heed, “WARNING…NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION”.