Baby's Not Ready Yet!

Everybody who has had children knows the fundamentals of feeding da baby! Every baby starts off with mother’s milk or processed milk of some type and formula. There’s plenty of vitamins and nutritional value in milk to get the young one growing. The next change to come along is vegetables processed into a slurry, creamy and yet easy to swallow. Every parent at one time or another holds their child when it’s time for the parent to eat. Then what happens, yep, the little one sees the parent eating and wants some of the parent’s food! It’s an easy decision for the parent; you give the baby a “taste” of soft foods. Maybe it’s a bite of mashed potatoes, apple sauce, or a cracker to gnaw on.

The tricky part comes when the baby wants a piece of your T-bone steak or chicken breast or maybe that spare rib. They don’t ask for it politely either. They demand it with full lung capacity and uncontrollable squirming! All your efforts might end with pouting, crying and refusing to eat anything. You have to make a parental decision, give them the smallest part to gum on, or say no and face their wrath. The baby wants everything but is equipped to handle almost nothing. The adult must do the responsible adult thing—make them wait until they’re ready. One characteristic all children share is that they all want to be in control and to grow up—to be like big sister or brother or like their parents. When we are born again we become spiritual newborn babies. If we are healthy, we will yearn to grow in the ways of the Lord and take His nourishment.

The writer of the book of Hebrews faced the same problem. New Christians wanted everything on the menu. They wanted patience immediately; wisdom now; and understanding yesterday! In chapter five the writer tells the young Christians that they have been slow to mature, and that they should be teaching others, but because of their maturity level, they need milk not meat! Christian maturity involves time, growth in the Word, and experience in discovering between good and evil.

Do these terms make you uneasy or give you comfort…justification, sanctification, propitiation, prophecy, eschatology, creation?

Bottom line

1 Peter 2:2 says, “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.” This milk and Word is the knowledge of The Son—when we know this, then, we will grow and mature in our Christian walk.