Last month an unusual situation occurred in Columbia, SC.

A 16 year-old high school student went to lunch and drank a latte. Then, on his way back to school, he drank a Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink. 

About 2:30 that afternoon this student collapsed on the floor of his classroom. He was rushed to the hospital and about an hour later he was pronounced dead.

What happened?

The Richland County Coroner said the young student had a cardiac event caused by caffeine.

Caffeine killed him.

It was sad to read this story and think that something most people use and enjoy - caffeine - somehow led to this young student's death. Most Americans enjoy coffee in the morning to wake them up or perhaps some mid-afternoon caffeine to get some needed energy. But how many of you have considered that caffeine can be deadly?

The point is that sometimes good things in your life, such as caffeine, can become bad things. Somethimes good things can harm you.

In Mark 7, Jesus Christ is confronted by offended religious leaders who cannot understand why Jesus and his disciples don't follow the religious traditions and rules about hand washings. In Jewish culture during that period, those desring to live a religious life would keep themselves ritually clean by washing their hands before meals. These traditions and oral laws were built on the law of Moses and intended to demonstrate commitment to God and religious devotion. 

However, the religious leaders opposing Jesus Christ took something good and used it to prove their religious fervor. They took something good and used it to earn God's blessing. In other words, something good had now become spiritually toxic to them and kept them from following the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today, you and I can be guilty of the same mistake. You can take something good (i.e. family, career, fitness, health, money, etc.) and let that distract you from knowing and following the Lord Jesus Christ. Good things like a career or family can become obstacles to growing in the Christian faith when your identity or meaning is found in them rather than in the crucified and risen Son of God.

The tempation is always there to receive God's blessings and be distracted or hindered by them rather than receiving them with gratitude and using them to glorify God. The solution is found in the Gospel. The solution is found in knowing that your meaning and identity is not found in your career or your family. Rather, your only hope is found in the Son of God who gave his life for you on the cross and then rose again from the dead. 

Reflecting on what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross in the past is the spiritual light that will guide you today and tomorrow. Remembering the redemptive work of Jesus Christ helps you enjoy good things like work, family, and caffeine, without allowing God's blessings to distract us from him.