Use By Date

One of the regular features on most of the packaged foods we purchase from our local supermarkets are the 'use-by' or 'best before' date stamped on the box, wrapper or bottle. This date gives you an idea of how long the food will last before it loses quality, or in some cases, for health and safety reasons, the date by which the food must be eaten to be assured of being safe for consumption.

Shoppers are becoming more and more aware of use-by dates, and will look to purchase items with the latest use-by dates to purchase the freshest, and give the longest time to use the product before it spoils.

However, foods still need to be properly stored to remain fresh and safe. It’s no good leaving a carton out of milk out in the sun, and then wondering why it is sour when still a few days within the use-by date!

As I get older, I wonder what my ‘best before’ date is. In physical terms, I’m past my ‘best before’ already, as I get slower and stiffer and take longer to get over bumps, bruises and minor ailments. But in many aspects of life I think I’m still managing to improve, or at least not get worse. Perhaps my driving is an exception!?

I think for many of us, our hope is that our ‘best before’ is some time in the future.

And for all of us, our lives have a ‘use-by’ date. Only problem is that none of us know when that will be - when our heart will stop beating and we take our final breath on this earth. With that being the case, shouldn’t we put a bit more effort into enjoying the days that we have while we have them?

Shouldn’t we all love more deeply, forgive more quickly, listen more carefully, speak more words of encouragement and affirmation, knowing that today could be our last?

In the book of Ephesians in the Bible, it encourages us to ‘be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.’ (Ch 5: 15-17)

The Lord God wants us to do things like love, forgive, to act compassionately, to seek justice, to care for others and for our earth, to be grateful and to give thanks. Good things. Positive things. From our hearts.

May we each do our best to make this world a better place, before our ‘use-by dates’ are up.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington