Our pastor, Kevin McGuire, preached an amazing message yesterday morning about the Sacred Cows we have in our local churches.
Sacred Cow (noun): a structure or format that we put our ultimate value or worth in; see also, idol. [Term is derived from the golden calf account in Exodus 32.]
A sacred cow is something we place our ultimate identity in instead of Christ. Pastor Kevin expounded on sacred cows in the church such as youth group, senior citizens class, AWANA club, or nursery. Some church members will worship these structures or formats instead of using them as tools to be more like Christ. All of these things are good things, but idols are formed when we place ultimate value on something that is not.
As a wife & mom, I started thinking about the sacred cows that I might be harboring in my heart with regard to my home. I take great pride in my home and in caring for my husband and children. However, what could easily become an idol in my life? What sacred cows are hiding out in my home? What sacred cows are hiding out in yours?
Here are a few cows to think about & consider:
1) Cleanliness
There is a saying "Cleanliness is next to godliness."While I appreciate a clean house (see previous post), is my idol of cleanliness interfering with my relationship to my children? Am I more concerned about the state of their rooms than the state of their hearts? Am I inhibiting their free play and passions because I am trying to make a good impression? They are my first houseguests - they are only here a while (a very long while, but a short time nonetheless). Am I making my home a place for them to enjoy?
2) Schooling Methods
Am I making an idol of the schooling method I choose for my children? Am I critical towards others for the decisions they make for their families? Do I believe all public-educated children are hoodlums or all homeschooled children are socially stunted? For a great blog on this subject check out http://writingandliving.net/2013/04/24/homeschool-versus-public-school-a-few-thoughts/#comment-14156
3) Organized sports/activities
Of course every parent wants their child to excel at something, whether it is art, cooking, music, or sports (to name a few). However, is your ambition for your child's passion helpful or harmful? What kind of message are you sending them about how important these activities or sports rank on your list of priorities? Are you more concerned about how many wins their team has or about how they handle the disappointment of losing? Are you taking your children out of church community to join a more important sports community? (PS - a note to dads: don't live vicariously through your child's sports. It's pathetic, really.)
4) Food
Ah, this is a big one. Are we making food a sacred cow in our homes? Food is good. Food is excellent. Jesus ate with his disciples several times throughout scripture. Jesus fed the five thousand (and more) at least twice. He ate with the sinners, the harlots and the tax collectors. Food is a ministry. Churches have food pantries, most have fellowship meals, and donuts in Sunday school. In the past two decades though, it seems like there have been sacred cows concerning food cropping up in our homes (so many food puns, lol). Organic this, vegan that. Don't give your kid fruit snacks or he will be obese the rest of his life. Don't you know what's in those things?! With food, there are often two extremes. One is worshipping the belly and giving it whatever it wants, whenever it wants, without any restraint whatsoever. The other extreme is becoming so strict with your diet that nobody wants to have your judgmental self over for dinner. Lets be honest. Are we to be responsible with our food? Yes, absolutely. Our body is given to us by God and we should be gracious stewards of it. On the other hand, are our food choices interfering with the ability to fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters? Are we really going to break fellowship over whether we eat at whole foods market or McDonald's for dinner? What about our children? Will they see us lusting after food and stuffing our bellies with our idol, unable to practice self control in this area of our lives? Will they become resentful toward us for thinking they shouldn't eat any high fructose corn syrup whatsoever or they might die? Are we putting our children's health up high on a pedestal when they are fallen, frail, dying creatures who need Jesus more than anything? Food won't save our children. Feeding them the exact right diet won't prolong their lives an instant longer than God graciously allows them to live.
So lets eat, drink and be merry to the glory of God, for yesterday we were dead!
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