Don’t Let the Pretty Packaging Fool You: What’s in the Bottled Water?

Last updated on: July 6, 2019 at 1:04 pm by Paul Louis Metzger

Don’t Let the Pretty Packaging Fool You: What’s in the Bottled Water? 2019-07-06T13:04:52-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Stilles Mineralwasser, Walter J. Pilsak; Creative Commons

In the previous post, we reflected on scorched earth tactics involving the poisoning of water in warfare from ancient times to the present. Fortunately, many of us have not and will not likely have to worry about scorched earth tactics of poisoning water supplies. And yet, all of us still have to concern ourselves with what’s in the water we drink. For example, there has been longstanding concern about high levels of arsenic in well water in Washington state where I live (Refer here). Many people turn to bottled water as a solution due to astute marketing. One article asserts: “Though health advocates have cheered the news of soda’s declining fortunes, the rise of bottled water is less a nutritional success story than a victory for good old-fashioned American marketing—or, to be more precise, of companies deftly navigating the murky space between what people want and what they can be convinced they need.”

Just like stylish faucets in homes and hotels that may lead us to think the tap water we drink is clean and healthy, we should not let the pretty packaging and astute marketing tactics lead us to think all bottled water is pure and beneficial for our health. For example, a few bottled waters contain unsafe levels of arsenic, according to Consumer Reports. Another site warns: “Just because water is bottled doesn’t mean it’s better for you. In fact, some bottled waters are essentially the same as (or worse than) tap water and others are almost as bad as soda — yikes!”

Thus, it’s not only efforts to poison water that put us at risk. A lack of sound governmental regulation and savvy though unsavory marketing techniques can also jeopardize our health in drinking unsafe water. So, we must be vigilant in asking: “What’s in the water?”

The same goes for our spiritual lives. The dangers we face are not always diabolical, like enemy forces that aim to poison water supplies. We need to be on guard not simply against the Devil and demonic forces, that is the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12), but also against our fleshly appetites, as well as the world system involving its own array of savvy marketing techniques that stands opposed to God’s values (1 John 2:16). We need to take to heart biblical marketing techniques that reflect well on the delight one has from drinking from the refreshing waters of the fountain of life: “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2; ESV)

The preceding discussion leads me to ask: What satisfies our spiritual hunger and our thirst? What appeals to satisfy our hunger and thirst do we find attractive? It matters, since we become what we eat and what we drink. We also become what we love.

While it is true that we become what we love, we should ask: do we love what we become? It is good to discern carefully what we love and above all guard our hearts for they are the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Everything flows from there, not the externals, like stylish faucets and eye-striking bottled water. As the Lord exhorted Samuel in his efforts to discern who among Jesse’s sons would be chosen as king, **“**Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7; ESV).

On the import of the heart as the wellspring of life, J. Hampton Keathley III writes: “The heart needs guarding because the heart is the wellspring of life; the fountain of attitudes, values, beliefs, aspirations, and pursuits (Pr. 4:23; Matt. 13:34; 15:18; 6:21). Because of this, we must guard it or we develop those of the world and this will always lead us astray.” In a similar vein, Warren Wiersbe asserts: “‘The heart is the “master-control” of the life; a wrong heart always produces a wrong life. To allow sin into the heart is to pollute the entire life… ‘The unexamined life is not worth living,’ said Socrates. The Lord is pondering (examining) our lives (Pr 5:21, 15:3, Je 17:10, 2 Chr 16:9), and we must examine them too (cp 2 Co 13:5). Live in God’s Word and He will protect your path, direct your path, and perfect your path, for the glory of Jesus Christ” (The quote is found at Precept Austin).

In succeeding posts, we will reflect upon several spiritual taste buds in the effort to discern whether we are alert to how healthy the wellsprings of our hearts are. Always be alert to ask: what’s in the water?

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 5, 2019

What's In Your Water? Scorched Earth Tactics of Poisoning the Well

Next Post

July 7, 2019 Jesus Acts Extraordinarily During Ordinary Time

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz