In the spiritual realm—as in the physical—there is a time to be born and soon after comes the time to learn a thousand things and apply what we have learned. It is a season of immaturity during which we are called upon to develop skill in the art of eating, dressing, tying our shoes, and so on.
Now, everybody knows that this period is absolutely normal. That’s why a child doesn’t need to be ashamed of his childhood. He might spill some soup on his pants while eating but that’s all right, for he is improving every week.
Of course, as the years go by, he is expected to grow up and mature; to pass from a state of irresponsibility to a state of responsibility; to become a reliable person that will contribute to the well-being of society. Ultimately, this time of transition should arrive to a culmination. Paul expresses it in these words:
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11 ).
An alarming situation
The problem arises when the normal becomes abnormal, i.e., when the time of transition is passed and no transition occurred. It is indeed a deplorable state of affairs: an adult unable to tie his shoes; still eating with a bib; not knowing the difference between a TV and a computer; incapable to differentiate between right and left. No wonder the psalmist writes:
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth” (Psalms 144:12).
That’s right! There is a time to grow up. But as Paul points out that time might come to an end and leave us in the cradle:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:12,13 ).
If we have been in the faith for more than 20 years the pertinent question is: Do we still speak as children, understand as children, and think as children?
I will now focus on 6 characteristics belonging to children. This I will do as to provoke a self-examination that might be beneficial for all of us.
Children love toys
An undeniable treat ascribed to children is their love for entertainment—the same is true about spiritual children. They love to play and have a great time. Therefore you see them in Christian concerts, Christian festivals, Christian picnics, and in all sorts of amusements. But when it is time to work they somehow disappear and go in hiding. They are too busy or too far, too tired or too inexperienced, too shy or too weak, and there go the excuses of the toddlers.
Their world is small
Their sphere of activity is often reduced to their home and their backyard; spiritually speaking we could say, to their home and their church. Some of them might extend their horizons to their community, but not much more. They usually remain within the confinement of their comfort zone where they feel secure and at home.
Their sense of tragedy is distorted
The fact that 9 million people die of hunger and hunger-related diseases every year—more than the lives taken by AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined—has little impact on them. For them the biggest tragedy is that their cat has died the night before. That billions of people have never heard the gospel message leave them cold-blooded. The calamity of the week is that someone made a scratch on the church floor right in front of the pulpit.
They love sweets
They relish the sugary part of the Scripture, i.e., the promises, the love stories and the fantastic events. They also love to eat what is easy to swallow, such as milk, pap and purée. But they don’t like solid food.
I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able” (1 Cor. 3:2).
So what is solid food we may ask? The Scripture explains it clearly in such passages as John 4:34.
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”
In the Scriptures, to read the word or to receive teachings is considered milk. But to apply what has been taught—i.e., to do God’s will and to finish His work—is regarded as solid food.
Their notion of danger is distorted
At times they get very scared when there is no danger at all, and confident when they are facing peril. They might be scared of mice but love playing with gluttonous wolves.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).
These false ministers don’t frighten them a bit. In fact, they might become their friends and support their ministry. It is so because their sense of discernment is not developed; and it is not developed because they are still caught up discussing the elementary principles of Christ and don’t press on to maturity (see Heb. 6:1).
They are gullible
Another characteristic marking children is the fact that they are naïve and therefore dupable. If you have the right approach you can make them believe just about anything. For instance, Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians telling them they were babes in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1). And surely enough, later on, we see these infants being duped by pretenders who came to them with letters of recommendation (2 Cor. 3:1). In fact the deceit was so absolute that these babies were about to write a letter recommending these imposters. So Paul had to rescue them from the claws of these lions and regain their trust after having been defamed by these charlatans.
Conclusion
Brethren, let us press on to maturity. Let us give our ears and heart to the words of Wisdom.
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2:6–8).
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