“Grow up!”
If you’re anything like me, you’ve definitely said (or shouted) these words at a loved one at some point or another. Or perhaps you’ve had them shouted at you. I suppose we all need to be reminded on occasion that we cannot remain in our childish ways forever.
The same is true of our spiritual lives. The Apostle Paul, along with Peter and others, emphasized over and over again God’s desire for us not to remain as infants forever, but to ‘grow up’ in our faith to become mature believers:
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
1 Peter 1:2-3
I believe Peter gave this instruction to the church at that time because too many Christians were turning out to be like newborn babies with stunted growth. After they accepted Christ and ‘got themselves into heaven’, they stopped there–at salvation. O what a shame! There is so much more to experience in God as we continue to ‘grow up in our salvation’ throughout our entire lives. It is a process and progression of growth over a lifetime.
So how do we grow from newborns to mature adults in our faith? I have recently had the privilege of watching a dear friend nurse her newborn baby girl. Here are a few things I learned that we can apply to our own spiritual development:
- Newborn babies form an intimate bond with the mother while receiving milk.
- Newborn babies are dependent upon the nutrients of the milk to grow and develop.
- Newborn babies need milk each day.
In the same way, we must form an intimate bond with God, as the Source and Provider of our ‘spiritual milk.’ We do this by spending time with Him reading His Word, praying and listening to His Spirit. It is not a ‘one off’ thing, but a daily dependency on Him for health and survival. Only then will His divine milk begin to flow in our lives in a very real way, nourishing us and transforming us into His likeness. As we begin to grow up along our faith journey with Him, He will entrust to us greater responsibility in our Kingdom callings and assignments. What a joy!
Choosing not to drink our spiritual milk on a regular basis is detrimental to our health. We need to be nourished with the Truth of His Word, the strength of His love and the power of His Spirit each day to survive. As the saying goes, ‘Milk…it does a body (and spirit) good!’
Have you had yours today?