Spiritual weaning, in preparation for ‘solid food’

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual man, but … as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it."  — 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

Recently, one of our dogs had puppies. They are eight of the cutest white and brown, fur balls that you have ever seen.

If you have never had a litter of puppies around, you don’t know what you are missing. As they get older, they follow you everywhere. When I go out to mow the grass, they are under my feet. As I go to feed the cows, they are under my feet. I think you are beginning to get the picture.

As they were getting older, it was time for them to start eating. The mother dog would stop allowing them to nurse as often. She knew that it was in their best interest to start eating dog food. She knew that they would never grow and develop the way that they needed to if they only nursed her milk for the rest of their lives. She wants them to grow and become mature adults.

Oh, now the puppies were not happy about this at all! They whined and whined about it. Anytime they would see their mother they would run to her trying to get some milk. If they would see her lay down in the sun to take a nap, they would take off running trying to get some milk. The mother dog would either snap at them or just get up or leave, hoping that they would not follow her.

Was she being cruel to them? Was she being a bad parent?

No, she realizes that they needed something else other than what they were asking her for. They needed to mature and grow up.

The Apostle Paul is talking to a group of immature Christians. They had been saved, but have failed to grow in their faith. They had been baptized, but had not continued to learn about God.

Paul is telling them that he wants to tell them about the deeper things of God, but they wouldn’t understand, because they have quit growing in their faith. He wants to help them to understand the mysteries of God, but since they aren’t growing in their faith, he couldn’t.

It is essential that we spend time reading and studying God’s word. We must dedicate ourselves to spending time in worship and in prayer. We will never grow and mature in our faith unless we do.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food” — Hebrews 5:12

If you have taken time to read this column, you are most likely already a Christian. But are you are growing, maturing and learning Christian? Do you spend time studying and learning what the Bible has to teach us? Are you spending time in prayer, making your relationship with Christ all the sweeter?

Yes, salvation is important, but God wants us to grow in our faith. Don’t stay a spiritual baby.