A Mature Believer

1 Corinthian 3:2

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.

When babies are born, they are fed liquid food that is full of nutrients for their rapidly changing bodies. Their weight is monitored and they are closely observed month after month to see if they are growing at a normal rate and developing mentally and emotionally.

Mothers are the first to know if something is off, “not right” about their behavior or physical appearance, and they look for help to determine what to do. Of course, they expect the baby to grow into a healthy child so they feed them and exercise them and teach them.

The goal is to help that child become a mature adult, able to develop intellectually and physically. If their child was still eating baby food at 10 or 12 years old, there is something wrong.

God has designed us to grow spiritually in the same way.

When you first begin a close relationship with the Lord, it is normal for you to read and listen to as much teaching as you can as you develop a deeper understanding of who He is and what He wants for you.

But there is a point where you need to grow up and feed yourself. No one thinks that a normally developing teen ager needs to be spoon fed and so a growing Christian should develop habits of spiritual feeding too.

How can you tell if a person who claims to be a Christian is malnourished?

They will act like the world in their choices, their language, their response to stress, or their priorities in how they spend their time. They will not make time for studying God’s Word, for fellowship with other believers, or for helping others through acts of service.

Look at yourself in the mirror.

Are you showing signs of immaturity?

Jesus grew physically, intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. How about you?

You can start today building good habits of spiritual nourishment through reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word.

Growing in wisdom means you will be able to apply the principles God teaches you in your family, your relationships with co-workers, your ability to resist temptation, and your self control over your emotions.

An immature child can only decide based on how they feel, like a child throwing a tantrum in the grocery store. A mature believer listens to the leading of God’s Spirit and lives a life of serving Him.

Start your day tomorrow morning by making your bed and combing your hair, then get to a spot where you can feed on a bowl full of wisdom from the Bible.