Growing Up Christian
Have you ever held a newborn baby? When I held my first son, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the thought of my power and the extreme state of his helplessness. The revelation of being Brian's protector stung as it penetrated my heart, mind, and soul. Not only that, but it dawned on me that I was also his nurturer, counselor, teacher, and his mommy. The long-past revelation still moves me when I travel back through the years to those thoughts forever burned into my soul.
Did you know that God feels the same way for each newborn Christian? He probably isn't overwhelmed, but can you imagine the Creator of the Universe feeling that way about you and me? Well, He does. He is every newborn believer's protector, nurturer, counselor, teacher, and Daddy. The only tricky part is that He is our Heavenly Father and resides in heaven. But the great thing about God is that He has many God-inspired helpers here on earth. One of His greatest spiritual helpers was the Apostle Paul.
Paul wrote much of the New Testament (in the form of letters to those he lead) because he truly loved the first century believers. He saw them much as newborn babes and he took his responsibility seriously. Paul protected them, nurtured them, taught them, and became their spiritual "daddy" in godly matters. His role as a spiritual father is evident in Hebrews 5:12-14:
Like most parents, Paul realized that babies need milk for a time before they are ready for solid food. It is the same with new Christians; they need spiritual milk for nourishment before they are able to sit down and digest a spiritual meal of meat and potatoes. However, the Hebrews that Paul is addressing in the above passage should have already graduated to "table food"; they were not growing properly and were spiritually stunted. They still needed "spiritual milk". Enough time had passed that they should have been ready to help nourish other newborn Christians coming along behind them, but they were not ready. So, the question presents itself: What are our responsibilities as growing Christians in the context of Hebrews 5:11-14?
Ingesting Proper Nourishment
Believers with a voracious appetite for the things of God grow faster and stronger than those who sustain themselves on spiritual milk. That kind of believer is undernourished and struggles under the weight of difficult circumstances. On the other hand, a Christian who is growing properly will exude spiritual health. That does not mean they are perfect or will be unscathed during a season of crisis, but they will endure, overcome, and be shining examples of the glory of the Lord. Overall, they are much better equipped to deal with everyday life and stand against tidal waves of trouble than their weaker, milk-drinking counterparts.
What should a growing believer feast on while transitioning from milk to solid food? The Bible is a wonderful way to induce Christian growth. Prayer also brings us closer the our heavenly Father and is a very personal way to feel the love of His heart flowing into our lives. And, helping others is like a savory dessert. Nothing excites a dull palette like doing for others. Not only does it feel great to bless people, but it also gives us a greater appreciation of our own lives when we get unappreciative and a little self centered. Unselfish giving not only nourishes those around us, but it helps us nourish ourselves.
Giving Proper Nourishment
In Hebrews 5:11-14, Paul exhorts the believers to return to the spiritual milk of basic Christian teaching; not only for the sake of their own righteousness, but so that they can teach it to the newborn believers following in their footsteps! When Paul brought people to the Faith or encountered newborn Christians, he did not abandon them; he nourished them by protecting, nurturing, counseling, and teaching them. Christians have that same call today. We play different roles, but we all share the responsibility of educating our little spiritual brothers and sisters. Some of us may write and speak, others of us are leaders in our churches, but all of us need to let God's love flow from our hearts to the hearts of others.
Many years ago a lady told me a story of the Sunday she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. It was such an awesome experience that she did it the next Sunday and the Sunday after that! She finally quit going forward when a church leader told her she didn't have to respond to every call to the altar. I'm not sure who dropped the ball with this precious newborn Christian, but it almost sounds like she was abandoned in the hospital of her birth. She changed churches and was eventually embraced by spiritual parents who helped her grow into a healthy believer who ate voraciously at God's table. That is what Christian growth looks like when meat-eating believers help grow those younger in the Faith.
Thankfully, when the reality of parenthood hit me, I was fairly well equipped to be a parent. I had matured into a responsible person, my husband and I were stable enough to welcome a new member to our family, and we had lots of love to share. Likewise, Practical Christianity calls those who are more spiritually equipped to protect, nurture, counsel, and teach our less mature brothers and sisters. It's a family thing and it's all part of growing up Christian.
(c)2009 Shona Neff
I love that: it's a family thing!
Posted by: Venus | July 17, 2009 at 01:18 PM