Women’s Wednesday–“A Little Chocolate Milk?”

“Chocolate milk has long been seen as the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down…”¹

As a child, I remember walking through lunch lines and eyeing the drink selection. Chocolate milk cost 25 cents extra in elementary school, so I’d have to choose between orange juice and regular milk if I was out of pocket change. Orange juice won hands down. I despised white milk. GROSS! But, there were days when OJ wasn’t available and the only choice I had was plain white milk. I’d put it on my plate, but not drink it. I’d rather go thirsty rather than drink that stuff…

Apparently, I wasn’t alone. Some kids just don’t like milk in its plain form and the only way they consume it is if it’s flavored with chocolate or strawberry. In fact, when some school districts banned flavored milk, milk consumption dropped by 35%!¹ So, it seems like a no-brainer to keep flavored milks in school, right? After all, who cares if we have to add sugar to get our kids to drink milk? At least they’re drinking it, right? WRONG.

Did you know that 8 ounces of strawberry milk has a total of 27 grams of sugar, the same as a Coke?¹ This means that while giving our kids the calcium and nutrients that they need, we’re also giving them what they don’t need – extra sugar. A little bit of bad with the good.

I’ve heard it said this way. Imagine you received a pan of yummy looking brownies from a neighbor. You ask what’s in the brownies and she replies with the following: “Eggs, Cocoa, Flour, Milk and a just a tiny tiny drop of dog poop.” Well, the other ingredients might be wonderful, but doesn’t that little extra “surprise” negate the goodness of everything else? Of course it does!

A little bad with the good, makes the good … BAD! For example:

- In Worship: Sneaking in little “extras” that God did not ask for taints the whole worship. Even one little “bad thing” (note: many are not inherently bad, just not what God deemed acceptable for our worship of Him) can cause our entire worship to be in vain, pleasing US instead of pleasing Him. Please make sure that when you enter into worship of Him, you are examining everything that you are doing and that is being done. For more information on what is acceptable and unacceptable check out your Bible – God’s inspired Word (for a starting place of study, visit http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/290-the-divine-pattern-of-acceptable-worship-part-2)

- In Our Entertainment Choices: Do you accept just a few inappropriate scenes in an otherwise “good movie”? How many times have I heard the following statement: “The language is rough, but it’s a great movie”? Does that mean because there’s just a little bad, that it’s okay?

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8)

Notice that the inspired Paul did NOT write, “Meditate on these things most of the time, but if you have to let a few curse words in or view a few sex scenes, that’s okay, it’s just part of life.”

- In Our Social Activities: “Well, most of what goes on at Prom is okay… There are only a few kids that are ‘bumping and grinding’ on the dance floor; and only a handful of girls are wearing low-cut and backless dresses; and only 2 or 3 show up drunk.” Are you consciously choosing to be at an event/location where the works of the flesh are, even if they’re just “a little bit” present? (Galatians 5:19-21) Whether it is prom, the beach, a club, or even a friend’s house – remember that a little bit of bad taints the whole lot.

Think on this as it pertains to your spiritual life: Do you want to consume the strawberry milk (a whole lot of good with just a tiny bit of bad to make it more palatable) or the plain white milk (pure and good)?

¹ 2011, May 09. “Schools may ban chocolate milk over added sugar.” http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_food_and_farm_chocolate_milk. Accessed May 11, 2011.