Sex and Coke

NOTICE:  If you happen to be an attorney (whether working for Coca-Cola or otherwise), I freely admit that I talk about Coca-Cola in this blog entry.  I’m sure Coca-Cola and Coke are both trademarks, and this isn’t intended to infringe on that.  This blog entry is neither an endorsement nor condemnation of the beverage.  Just in case you were wondering.

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I really like Coca Cola.  When you live and work in a hot, tropical climate, an ice-cold Coke can be incredibly satisfying. 

 

It’s really a wonderful drink.  The acidic taste helps quench the thirst, the sugar gives some caloric intake, the caffeine gives a quick boost of energy, and the carbonation can make you feel full when the rice and whatever else is on the table doesn’t look terribly appealing.  It’s just a great beverage!

 

So, imagine that I have a can of ice-cold Coca-Cola.  And I think to myself what a wonderful beverage this is.  And I think further, that this beverage is so wonderful that 330 ml just isn’t going to be satisfying enough.  I mean, that’s only a good-sized glass worth.  So imagine that I round up about 15 glasses, each big enough to hold a can’s worth of coke.  And I take my single can, and divide it out evenly by pouring a little bit into each of the 15 glasses.  Then, I take a large pitcher of water and fill up each of the glasses to the brim with plain water.  Now I have 15 glasses of delicious, satisfying Coca-Cola, right?

 

Of course not.

 

I now have 15 glasses of slightly brownish water, and that’s about it.  If you ever tasted watered-down Coke (like when all the ice melts in your cup), you know how icky that taste can be.  It’s not satisfying at all.  In trying to spread out my satisfaction, I have instead radically diminished it.  It would have been much more fulfilling to simply accept the limits of my single can of the wonderful drink, and enjoy it in all its refreshing and satisfying purity.  Diluting it in an attempt to expand the satisfaction only destroyed it.

 

That’s God’s plan for sex.   In one sense, God’s intention to restrict sexual expression and fulfillment to the confines of the marriage covenant seems extremely limiting.  One sexual partner for life?  That’s it?  For many of us, sexuality seems to have so much more potential than that.  And there are SO many opportunities to seek for – and find – sexual pleasure in the world today.  It seems only rational to try to expand our satisfaction by seizing multiple opportunities for sexual fulfillment – whether that’s through multiple partners or just multiple websites.  But what we end up doing is diluting the pleasure that God intended, and diluting it in an attempt to expand the satisfaction only destroys it.  We are much better off to lovingly and gratefully accept the limits of a committed marriage partner as our sole source of sexual delight, and enjoy that pleasure in all its refreshing and satisfying purity.