Fast-Food Soft Drinks & Satan's Lies: Beware “Tiny” Temptations

A tale of two teas

I bought a flavored tea recently.

I could pay $4.00 for a small or $4.24 for a large. The small was 16 oz and the large was 24 oz.

I was happy to get the large.

This is seen frequently in marketing; for a relatively small additional cost (e.g. 24 cents), we get significantly more product. For only 6% more money, I got 50% more tea.

What difference does it make?

How often do we find ourselves going “just a little bit further” in our unholiness, to then face exponentially greater consequences?

“Why not spend the extra 24 cents for 50% more tea?,” we think.

This isn’t about marketing or consumerism. I look forward to enjoying another tea soon. A large one!

But analogous to the helpfully illustrative soft drink scenario, we often find that “just a little more” sin can lead to exponentially greater consequences.

How often do we take our unholy choices “only a little bit further,” then the wreckage from our actions has grown exponentially? Like the beverage that’s grown disproportionately to the pocket change we put into it.

Like having “just the last word” in an argument being a wrecking ball to the other person’s feelings. Like the tiny text message sent while driving, leading to an automobile accident. Like the “little white lie” leading to more lies.

Frequently, I think I’m gonna spend “just” a few minutes on social media; later I see that I’ve burned away valuable time that should have been used otherwise.

Vigilance 

Father Mark Bernhard, Diocese of Joliet, said that as a high school senior he memorized 1 Peter 5:8: 

“Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Father Bernhard testified, “Can I tell you how incredibly helpful it was for me as a high school senior to know that I had someone actively in my life looking to destroy and kill me…I think it saved me from a lot of pain and heartache knowing this.”

Like Charles Baudelaire wrote, “The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.”

Let's focus on God

When I get my jumbo beverage, it can be easy to forget to say grace since I’m not sitting down for a meal.

But saying grace is important.

Because our Lord loves us so much, that even though we take foolish "little" steps that may actually toss us miles away from Him…

We need take only one step toward Him to totally change direction.

And He rushes toward us: 

"While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son…” —Luke 15:20 NABRE

A similar reflection: Pray We Don't Have Grubs Inside of Us

Reference

Bernhard, Mark. "How the Devil Works." Father Mark Bernhard. July 20, 2026. Video. https://youtu.be/LlCx7q_9nqY.