The Day I Bought a $42 bottle of Coke

Well not literally …. but kind of.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and you wondered how on earth you got there?

I have …. many times. Let me share.

From my very first thought of wanting a drink of Coke, when I wasn’t even going to the shops, to the point of being at a takeaway shop buying a $42.00, 600ml bottle of Coke. How did I get there?

A few years ago, we had had a great morning of homeschooling, everyone was occupied and then, my thought went to food. That was not an uncommon thing, the me thinking about food part. I know, I know. It’s bad. God has thankfully healed me of this addiction since.

Anyhoo, I was thinking about food and then I began thinking about Coke. I already know how bad it is for me yet, I thought, “It would be really nice to have one now.” Instead of ‘taking captive every thought’ like I should have done, my mouth started salivating and I got into thinking that I needed a reward for our great morning’s work. Yes, I am embarrased by my thought process but bear with me, there is a point.

I tried to work out how I could justify myself going out and buying myself a bottle. Hmmm. I know (insert lightbulb here). I could go and buy hot chips for my beautifully behaved children and buy myself a Coke. Yeah! Great idea. (Really?!)

Can you see how powerful the mind is?

As I was driving home, with the car now smelling of fat, the realisation of what happened hit me. “I just paid $42.00 for a 600ml bottle of Coke. What was I thinking? How did that happen?”

I thought about the process and how it actually DID happen and realised that it all started with 1 little thought. ‘Gee. A bottle of Coke would be really nice.’ Right there. Right there is where I should have dragged myself into a corner and said, “What are you doing? You don’t need that. How else could you use the money that you are about to spend?” “All that bad fat, carbohydrate and sugar.” ………. but no. My first thought was moving like a freight train through my mind until I finally put the train on the tracks and set it in motion.

Isn’t that like everything? It all starts with one thought. What if I had changed the thought and wondered, what could I make the children for lunch today that would be a bit different? I would still have $42.00 in my pocket and I would not have felt so sick from eating foods that I know really don’t agree with me. The children were grateful, however.

There is a reason why the Bible says to “take every thought captive to obey Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our thoughts are what lead to our actions.

Can you relate to my story? If yes, think of a time when you did something that maybe you didn’t want to do. Work backwards and try and discover what was the first thought you had that took you to the final result. Once you find that, what would have been a different thought that you could have used, and where do you think that would have taken you? Share in the comments below.

Many blessings,