From the Pulpit…Milking it

I received some words of wisdom about milking cows this week. I chewed on that cud of information a bit and began to realize certain things about milking a cow could be applied to my spiritual life.

Once you start milking your cow, she will have to be milked every day or she can dry up. If I don't do Bible study on a regular basis, I can begin to dry up. Furthermore, if I don't do Bible study on a regular basis, it makes me dependent on someone else's cow and milk. There is something very satisfying about milk I have worked for, sweated over, and delivered to my table and am able to share with family and friends.

Finally, with hands-on milking, I get to know the cow really well! There’s a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. It’s important to have a hands-on personal relationship with our Creator who gives us the spiritual milk of life.

Along with spiritual milk, God has also blessed us with the gift of earthly milk. I have to admit there are times when I really enjoy this earthly blessing. For me, it’s hard to beat having a nice ice-cold glass of milk with a warm brownie or chocolate chip cookie right of the oven.

I was pandemic baking this last week when the desire arose to follow the warm cookie I had in my mouth with a refreshing glass of milk. I reached in the refrigerator, took out the milk, and because I’m married, poured the milk into a glass rather than drinking straight from the jug. Taking a big sip, the cookie experience and all the good that went along with it was ruined. The milk had turned.

There’s a price to be paid for keeping milk bottled up a long time without checking it. Sweet milk turns sour if left bottled up too long or not kept cool. If you think about it, sweet dispositions can turn sour for the same reason.

In these current times where we find ourselves having to stay bottled up inside longer than normal; if we let frustrations or aggravations or irritations simmer too long, we can stew ourselves into a bad attitude. Just as sour milk can ruin something good, so can sour attitudes.

Satan knows that. Satan uses that. The adversary won’t turn you against the church; he will turn you toward yourself in the church. He won’t take you away from your good works; with your sour attitude he will spoil the gift you are offering and take away your joy in doing it.

There is a life-lesson here for us to embrace. To keep an attitude from souring, treat it like you would a cup of milk: Keep it cool and don’t just keep it bottled up somewhere. Check it regularly to make sure it’s still good.

“Pleasant words (and attitudes) are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24 KJV)