Angela888
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The ‘Golden Cow’ Syndrome (or The Christians surrender of Pride)
What is the Golden Cow – and how does it affect the saints and the Kingdom of God ?
Prophecy: “The Golden Cow is the point of strength a person clings to (making them feel justified) that compensates for the insufficiencies in their life”
The Golden Cow is what a believer refuses to give up in their lives. We can see how the Golden Cow is worked out in the rich man’s life when they ask Jesus about what the requirements of God were.
Example 1:
Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”
And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him,“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
(Mathew 10:17-22)
The rich young ruler thought they had everything together and thought that they had a good understanding of the Kingdom of the Lord. They thought they knew their lives, and that the Lord would give them some simple wisdom or instruction, such as, ‘Hey keep doing the same thing – you’ll make it’. They were so secure in their understanding that they got to the point where they asked the Lord “Well what else could be required of me ?”.
But the Lord challenged them convicted areas of their life where there was pride – it was their Golden Cow not to give up their wealth – they gave up most everything else, but they wouldn’t give up the one thing that would save them – their wealth.
You see this believer had everything together, they had the right approach to the word of God, to obedience, they knew the Word and thought the Scriptures were good, but they had never truly challenged their lives, and now the Lord was revealing to them something that showed a deficiency in their lives – the unseen area of pride, the Golden Cow they refused to displace.
This was their Golden Cow – they refused to give it up. Had they obeyed the Lord they would not only have saved themselves, but many others also. Jesus was grieved about the young ruler because the Lord could see their heart for the Lord, however they just would not give up their Golden Cow.
Example 2:
In this scripture we see that Saul refused to give up the spoils of war and even spared the leader he was instructed to get rid of – this is account of the rebellion of Saul:
When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul replied.
Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams…”
(1 Samuel 15:13-25)
Here Saul was blinded by presuming to know what true obedience was, he thought he could work things out his own way – he had obeyed God, but not fully. It did mean something to God that Saul had unequivocal devotion to the mission he had been given, for the Lords plan was to get rid of Amalek so as to advance the Kingdom, it was also a test for Saul to see if he was true to God or not.
Note, it is reported that the descendants of Amelek were responsible for Nazi Germany, and the holocaust.
This was a simple test for Saul, had he obeyed it would have created and brought about a change in his heart that would strengthened him in his walk with God. Saul convicted by the Holy Spirit acknowledged the true reasons for his disobedience, which were: 1) Fear of the people, who he was King over, 2) Non-fear of God who had called him to the mission.
Then Saul said, “I have sinned.I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” (1 Samuel 15:13-25)
Many western believers are in the same situation today - God calls for them to repent and be healed from their blindness, for it is this blindness which deprives them of the plan of God for their life. Without this understanding, the inevitable result is fruitlessness in some areas of the believer’s life, and the opposition to the Kingdom of God.
There are Christians that love God and who seek holiness, yet are blinded by unseen pride. The Lords plan is to bring the Christian to a place of where they shall receive correction and relinquish their pride, so that they can truly flow in the plan of God for their life.
What, in Gods understanding, constitutes Pride?
- Pride is any thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of the Kingdom of God.
- Pride is any reasoning or argument that deters a person from submission to the Gospels.
- Pride is not seeking to do unto others as you would have done unto yourself, and before all things to fear, love and honor the maker of heaven and earth – Jesus Christ.
- Pride is complacency.
- Pride is immaturity.
- Pride is self-deception.
- Pride is conceit.
- Pride is reluctance to adhere to the level of correction the Lord has planned for you.
- Teachability instead if stubbornness.
- Peace instead of strife.
- Truth instead of deception.
- Love, mercy, peace instead of hatred, discord, anger.
- Fruitfulness instead of ineffectiveness or fruitlessness.
- Maturity instead of immaturity.
- Meekness instead or weakness.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1,2)
This means replacing the kingdom of the world with the Kingdom of the Lord. Whatever the Christian gives up must be replaced with something else - the release of the wisdom, anointing, and blessing of God. The Christian who walks in love, teachability and genuinely enquires of God is released into more love and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Part 2 to be shared later ...
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