Going beyond Babyness
Did you ever have that moment in your life where someone told you that you were acting so grown up? It sometimes happened when you did a chore that your mom had wanted you to do for a long time. She sees you do it and she says “Wow that is so grown up for you.” I always remember my grandmother saying “Scott you are being such a grown up.” That comment was usually right after I had done something that showed some concern for someone other then myself. I heard a pastor this summer share that one of the major problems with the churches today is that they are full of spiritual BRATS. That to many of the so-called spiritual leaders of the church body are still just infants.
Hebrews 5:12-13 (NLT) You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. [13] And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right.
Yes we are to start out like a baby but we are not to stay there in spiritual growth. We need to keep the awe and wonderment of a child, but we are to develop our attitudes about knowledge about Jesus to see more then ourselves. As we continue to gather biblical knowledge it does not on itself lead to spiritual growth. It is when we use that knowledge in our lives especially when it comes to our relationships. Notice it finishes the verses up by saying “Doing what is right.” As I read more and more of how Jesus developed His disciples it was by through giving them knowledge but then enabling them to experience it through life.
Are you a spiritual brat? Are you a person that has a lot of knowledge but never lives it out? Maybe what you need to do is get involved with others and start actually applying what is in your head and hopefully your heart. We will take a look at that even more tomorrow.
Spiritual BRATS!
1 Cor. 13:11 (NLT)
It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
1 Cor. 13:11 (NLT) It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
The Bible is constantly talking about how we are to start out like children when it comes to our relationship with Christ. The part that most people forget is that the bible also talks about us growing up and becoming more like Jesus. Unfortunately we have to many people that have come to know Christ and are walking around like a bunch of spiritual brats. These are the people in the churches that feel that it is OK to point out everything that is wrong with the church without looking to scripture and the Lord to change things. They just want to be spoon fed every week from the pulpit but only if it is something that they want to eat. (If not they throw a tantrum and write nasty comments or blog)
What I love about the verse is that eventually we have to grow up. We have to put away childish things. So it is my prayer that we begin to see that as we seek to be more like Christ we need to seek Him in how we are to grow up. I believe that if we look to scripture that it will point us to the places and the ways that we need to grow up that through the Holy Spirit prompting us we will know what to do next.
So where are you, are you a spiritual brat or child of faith looking to growing more into the image of Christ? My hope is that we GROW UP!
