Milk is for babies
“Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity...”
I have been meditating on this Scripture for the past couple of weeks. When I was reading this passage, it resonated with me, as if the Holy Spirit was lovingly, but firmly, speaking directly to me—go on to maturity. I have been a Christian for a long time now and I have certainly learned a lot along the journey: about myself, about God, about faith. And yet, I know there are many areas of my life where I am just not getting it. Some of that is due to pride and stubbornness: I don’t want to change; I like the way I am. Some of it is due to giving in to my flesh: it’s easy and feels good. And some of it is due to a lack of faith and a lethargy in my seeking of God: I don’t want to go there; I want to stay where it feels safe and familiar.
But more and more I keep getting a sense that I am not where I am supposed to be and I was struck by the realization that that is immaturity as a believer. I am not acting the way a Christian of 20 some years should be acting. And while I believe in giving yourself grace along the journey, I think I can honestly say that it’s time to grow up. This is exactly what the author in Hebrews is telling his readers.
And I feel this is what the Holy Spirit was telling me. I know I can be hard on myself and others. I tend to have high expectations. And it would be easy to read this passage and get a sense that the writer is a disappointed in his audience and that he is chastising them. But as I read the passage, I did not get any sense of criticism, disappointment, anger, etc. from God. Like the patient and loving Father He is, He was just telling me, let’s go on to maturity. You are further along than you acting.
As Christians, we no longer get to act the way we want, according to our flesh. God has called us to live a different way than the world. To be a Christian is to not yield to the flesh, but submit to the Spirit and choose to live a different way. And it takes a mature person to do that. Maturity takes time. No one expects a baby to act like an adult. No one calls a baby immature. Or, even still, no one expects a 7 year old to make the right decisions that we expect a teenager to make. But we do expect the 7 year old to not act like a baby. All that to say is maturity is based on growth. When you are growing as a Christ-follower, you should be changing. Sanctification should be happening. When you first start following Christ, it is all about the fundamentals. But after you have been a believer for a while, (and everyone’s timeline is somewhat different), a certain level of maturity is expected. And more so than just behavior modification. I think God wants to take us deeper in our understanding of Him and He cannot do that if he constantly has to go over with us the basics. If every time He gets us to a place of understanding and then we panic, or we question, or we doubt, how can we ever go on to the deeper things of God?
I never understood how the disciples walked with Jesus everyday and yet countless times they just didn’t get it. They would experience a miracle of Jesus and yet the next time around they were right back where they started. But lately, I’ve come to identify with them. I have experienced countless times where Jesus has never failed to show up. He has always lavished me with His love and grace. His provision has always been there and he hasn’t failed to heal me. So, why, when the slightest thing goes awry, do I question everything? I think of James when he says don’t be wind-tossed on the waves. Be strong in your faith. I need to go on to maturity in my faith by trusting what I know God has told me, what I know His word says, even when I cannot see. And even more, I sense that I need to go on to maturity with my faith to step out even when I don’t know where my foot will land. That is real faith, the faith of Abraham, the faith of Jesus. I desire that kind of faith and I know God has that for me. So, when he stirred me to go on to maturity, it is because He wants to take me closer to Him and He wants to give me solid spiritual food that will strengthen and grow my faith.
One of my favorite quotes is by E.E. Cummings:
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
Maturity as a believer takes courage, faith, and discipline. But the ever gracious living God does not leave us on our own to do this. In Philippians 1:6 Paul reminds us that “the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ” (TPT).
