How long have you been a Christian, that is a Christ follower who believes and trusts in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Maybe you always remember being a Christian, maybe you’re just beginning to experience Jesus’ life-saving grace. We are all walking along in our faith journey at different points with experiences to share. We are growing up in our faith daily by spending time with God, reading his word, seeking his will for our life.
The original readers of this text were brand new Christians, Jewish Christians, who had so much to learn. They knew how to be Jews, but their whole world changed when they claimed Jesus as their Messiah. Many had probably been left behind by their family members who remained true to Jewish belief that the Messiah had not yet come. Imagine the turmoil inside them. It makes sense they would need the counsel of other Christians further along in the journey and understanding to come alongside them.
Imagine a newborn baby. Without a mother to care for it, the baby would starve and die. The newborn relies heavily on its parent or caretaker to provide for its daily needs. The image the writer gives us here “You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.” When people first come to faith in Jesus, we need to be careful not to overwhelm them with a lot of knowledge they are not yet ready for. You would certainly never give a baby without teeth a steak to chew on, right?
God’s word gives us all the instruction we need. God reveals himself to us through his Word, and we can all get to know him in this way. Whether we’ve never picked up a Bible before or read it every day, God’s word continually teaches us. Our response to this teaching, to his promises and instruction, determines how we live our lives.
How many people do you know who never read their Bible? I’m sad for them because they are missing out on so many great nuggets of wisdom. In our business, we spend many hours on self-development trying to be the best we can be. For my practice, I not only read books by authors who help with mindset and skillsets, I spend time in God’s word to be sure I’m grounded in the truth. I want my purpose to be inspired by God. Growing up in terms of my relationship with Jesus only makes me stronger and better equipped to serve my audience.
We all have an audience. Whether it be co-workers, our children, neighbors down the street, or business partners. How is your life speaking to them? Do you teach or preach to them in a manner they understand and accept? This passage helps us remember we want to nurture and help those along who don’t have a firm a foundation yet.
The only way we are going to grow and get stronger is to spend time with God in his word. We need to look to the example of Jesus and try to be more like him in all we say and do. One of my favorite Chris Tomlin songs is “I Will Follow.” Listen to the song here.
We are all believers who need to be taught. We don’t know it all. God reveals himself to us bit by bit. We need to be ready to obey and follow.
Let’s pray. Lord, help me to see you today. I am searching for your path for me. I want to follow you. Thank you for your Word and all the promises you declare for us. I want to be a light shining for you so that others will see and want a life with you, too. Prepare the hearts of those who I will encounter, and then please use me to share with them your life-giving hope. When I feel weak, you give me strength. I know you are with me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Great reflection! I might add a word about the tone, however. The preacher is put out with the slow spiritual growth of his audience, like 4-year olds who are still nursing and haven’t even begun taking solid food. He wants to shout out, “Just grow up!”
Thanks for that! What a great picture of how we must look when we get complacent in our faith and not be growing deeper!