Growing past the Milk

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There once was a woman that had a child. She fed the child it's milk and through the months the child began to grow. When the child got a little older and it could start taking baby food, the mother went to the store and tried to feed the child some baby food. But the child refused, it would only take milk. The woman conceded to her child not wanting the child to starve, but as the child got older, all he would eat was milk.

  The child, now a young boy, began to become weak. His refusal to eat anything but his milk was withholding his body of much needed nutrients to keep him growing.

 The boy became frail.. his body thin and weak, his muscles because they were not receiving protein were small and underdeveloped. The boy continued this into his young adulthood... Eventually.. the young boy died... his body simply could not function without the nutrients it truly needed to keep growing.. 

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", you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!" Hebrews 5: 12b

Did that story sound kind of ridiculous? "What kind of crazy parent would allow their kid to do that?!" "What kind of grown person with any common sense would do that?!"

Ridiculous, absolutely!!! And yet, that is exactly what many Christians are doing to their spiritual lives!! 

  Instead of stretching themselves and searching out Scripture to learn new things, many Christians are perfectly happy being spoonfed once a week for an hour and then letting it go. They allow themselves to fall into laziness and not research the deeper truths of God. They allow themselves as it is to constantly be fed the same spiritual food over and over. 

As a result their spiritual lives suffer tremendously. Their spirit withers and begins to become stagnant.

This is NOT how it should be!! We should be diving into the scripture every day searching out for new truths and learning how to be more like Christ!

This is the situation that the Author addressed in Hebrews 5:11-14  and 6:1 "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (6:1a) Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity,"

Wow, did you read that? "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness." And the last part, "to distinguish good from evil."

So if we are not growing in Christ, and continually searching his Word to grow then how are we to know the difference between good and evil? We won't. It's that simple.

That passage up there says something else, "some of you should be teachers by now". What if you're the one that is supposed to be teaching others right now? So by your lack of study and searching of the Scriptures... you very well in fact might be depriving others of their teaching and learning in Scripture. That's kind of a heavy thought ain't it?

The Bible talks about your spiritual growth in a few other places as well. Here are just a few of them.

1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,"

2 Peter 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

Colossians 1:10 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"

I've said it before in other posts, and I'll say it again here. The Bible clearly tells us that we are to be ready to give an answer at any time for the hope that is in us. We are called to grow more and more like Christ. We are called to seek God out and search his Word for what he desires of us. We need to be sure we are taking the time out of our day, even if it is just for that ten minutes to read that one chapter. We need to be making time to read our Bible's and we need to be making time for Christ. 

I hope that helps.

God Bless, 

     Ryan