How many times have we wished…..that our kids would grow up…mature? We want, at some point, for them to realize that we have their “greater good” in mind. We are really about helping them and not harming them in…
what we say to them,
what we restrict them from doing,
what we encourage them to do,
and sometimes in that which we ask them to do over and over again.
It is to give them a hope and a future.
As a parent, for the life of me sometimes, I cannot understand why our kids would refuse helpful instruction. Or balk at it….like I am the monster who wants to destroy their lives. I know, and I would hope they know, the instruction is given out of a desire to serve them in love.
I am baffled at times….but then…I realize…I have done the same thing to God. He wants me to GROW UP. But my/your/our sin nature…of being prideful and thinking we know it all…gets in the way. Doesn’t it?
Not wanting anyone to be the “boss of me/you/us!” or “instruct us on behavior”. As I was reading and studying one of my favorite books in the Bible, Hebrews, I came across chapter 5, verses 11-14. These verses are so convicting to me about knowing God’s word. Getting off of spiritual milk…and eating solid food. Look at verse 14, “But solid food is for the MATURE, who by CONSTANT use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” [emphasis added].
In order to be Mature…to Grow up…”we have to move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death” (Hebrews 6:1).
The key word to spiritual maturity is “Constant”. We have to constantly be in God’s word in order to grow up! It is the “meat” for life…to sustain us…to train us…to “run our race!”
If we are breathing….God has a race for us to run.
Here is a visual that I have for myself. If I ever get the priorities wrong in my life or I find myself, on the Back 9 especially, allowing distractions to throw me off balance of reading and studying God’s word, I just picture myself having to “drink milk from a bottle” instead of eating properly like an adult.
Many times I have walked around sucking on an invisible bottle of milk. It wasn’t as evident to me as I am sure it was evident to others who were “off the bottle”. The great news is this…if you are reading this blog…YOU CAN READ. Thus, nothing is stopping you from READING GOD’s word and getting off the bottle!
I encourage you today…read God’s word. Ask Him to reveal to you the meaning of scripture. Have a seeker’s heart…to constantly know more. It is at that place….that you will be running instead of crawling because your nourishment will be proper…..and it will strengthen you for your race. We were meant to RUN not crawl.
I strongly suggest…Don’t just grow old…Grow up!