"It's natural...but it'll kill ya!" - Joey Ferrell
Recently, as I was walking for exercise, I passed a gas station/convenience store that is not new to my route, but seemed to have a new sign that caught my eye. It was one of those that stand up near the road. It was an advertisement for a product that some may pose as a controversial topic, but the idea of the sign’s message is what made me stop and ponder the thought of this article in more depth.
The sign is a great marketing concept - why? Because it is appealing to the concept of things being “natural” as many will shop today. I mean, we think about how many unnatural things that we have put into our body and even the government in many places has banned certain items that can harm the body that are not natural. Not much is different with this advertisement.
What could it be that would spark such a title as I have posted? Well, the sign of a national brand said “Nothing but tobacco and water” indicating that their product might be better than another that contains some other additives. Now, I know this can be a sensitive topic, but I can speak from experience on this particular part of the article. I hope that if you are a tobacco user, that you will consider the long term effects but also the spiritual effects that it may have on your life. Even witnessing my own grandfather pass away when I was 5 from tobacco induced lung cancer, I still chose to be a “cool kid” (so I thought) later in my teens and smoked off and on for some years before permanently putting the lighter and the tobacco away forever. But, this article isn’t quite finished with this thought.
What do I mean? Well, it doesn’t take long to find out that the W.H.O. has made some very serious allegations against tobacco. Statistics as recent as just a few weeks ago suggest that half of tobacco users will die from it if they do not stop using them. Another stat shows that over 7 million people die per year worldwide from tobacco usage. And, they tout that tobacco usage is the worst health epidemic in the world…ever! (Taken from the internet on the World Health Organization website).
The use of tobacco - especially smoking - has been deemed dangerous enough to even produce mandatory warning labels that are extremely graphic to be placed on cigarette packages and marketing by December 12, 2025 unless a court stands them down again (enacted in 2020 but appeals have pushed out to this new date). Some of them are pretty straightforward and you can see them yourself on various sites. Some countries even have the warning below on ALL smoking marketing and labels:
That’s some pretty serious stuff right there!!! It’s natural…but it can kill ya! That is basically what they are saying here. Why on earth would anyone want to do that? Well, that isn’t the idea of this article, but it does lend to support. By the way, this author’s view is that tobacco is an addictive substance and addictions are sinful, so please consider stopping their use as the W.H.O. suggests.
So, what is the idea of the article? Well, there is another subject that can be similar to this thought. There is something that can seem pretty natural…but it also will kill ya! This time though, it is not the physical body, but instead it is the spiritual soul that can seemingly drift away because of something that seems natural. What is it?
SIN
Yes…that small little three letter word! There can be a strong case made that sin is a natural part of life. That may not really be the idea behind what God says, but we do have some scripture to support that none of us are free from sin. Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun….so that would imply that he, David, Paul, Peter, John and others would have seen the same temptations and lust that we all see today. Look at what he said in Ecclesiastes 7:20 and see if you may feel the natural feeling about the nature of mankind:
"There's not a righteous man on the face of the Earth who does good and does not sin."
Or how about what James says in James 1:15 - “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Now, don’t misunderstand! The bible does not support that man is born in sin, although some may believe the concept of “original sin” even though the scriptures will not support this theory. But, what we do have to realize is that all sin…Paul gives us that concept in Romans 3:23. And with that sin, comes death (Romans 6:23). He will go on to write in Romans 7 that “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.” So, we can certainly see the idea that lust can become sin and sin can become death.
How does this relate to our advertisement in discussion? Remember the catch line? It’s all natural! Nothing but tobacco and water! Now, that may appeal to those that are looking for an all natural “fix” to this habit or addiction, and no doubt they may consider that it may be better for them…since it is natural. Oddly enough, that is the way that the world thinks. Look at some of these phrases that you might hear:
A little white lie is okay
My sin is no bigger than your sin
But it is the 21st century, we need to progress
Quoting John 8 - he without sin can cast the first stone
All of these phrases and many more that you may hear indicate that sin is somewhat natural. And, honestly, lust and temptation are unfortunately a natural part of the lives that we live today. But…does that make sin any better?
Much like the product in the advertisement, some sin is discarded as being better than others. No matter how we diminish it, there are multiple places in the bible that talk about those sins that will lead to an eternity absent of God. Lying, stealing, cheating, fear, murder, sexual relationships that are not authorized biblically, adultery….the list continues on with many other things. James even addresses the sin of omission in chapter 4 in his letter! Sin may seem natural….
But it can kill ya!
While we live our lives on this earth, let’s try our absolute best to stay natural to what God wants for us and not try to find something that the world calls natural that can and does spiritually kill us. Tobacco in its original form of growing will not kill someone (well, there are probably ways it can but not the norm), yet it has a byproduct that can cause addiction - nicotine. When someone uses tobacco, they consume that nicotine and then their body absorbs it, and it becomes what stimulates the body’s receptors and nervous system to get that feeling of satisfaction. Some of the tobacco companies offer the explanation that it is not the nicotine that can kill you, but the other dangerous additives that are consumed by smoking or using tobacco products. In essence, this particular advertised brand says that their product is not containing the certain additives that have been known to kill people, but they do not feel that this more “natural” form is as dangerous. Yet, on another tobacco company’s website, they conclude that nicotine itself does have its own risks. Sounds kind of like the excuses we hear for and about sin.
Let’s all do our best to leave sin and those things that cause sin behind, because no matter how “natural” it may seem, it will still kill ya! Much like the advice of the W.H.O., stopping is the best way to overcome what is causing death. We can do that with God’s precious help and His love for us through His son Jesus Christ. We can turn away from those things that cause death. And, we can live our lives with Him in eternity much longer than our lives on this earth and the toll that some of these “natural” things can take on us.
May God bless!