As a church body, we have been diving into a series entitled "Go....Grow....Reproduce." I love the idea that my church is all about making disciples and sending them out. They definitely are about replicating the 1st century church! Unfortunately, most of the modern day church has tucked away the sending nature of God time capsule style, thinking that maybe one of the succeeding generations might uncover it one day and be reminded of how church used to be.
Moving forward. My pastor really did an incredible job relaying the message of growing as Christians and what it takes on our part, CHANGE. The road to progress is paved with change. I know it is a small word but quite intimidating to say the least.
He made the following statement: "Christ is asking that we follow Him." Apparently the word "follow" in the Greek means "to cling." Think about the picture here.... and how differently it feels to "cling" to something, rather than to simply "follow" something.
If Christ's desire for us is to cling to Him with every ounce of life, then why is it not good enough just to follow?
1 Peter 2:2-3 "Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."
Lets break this down for a minute....
1) Remember the time when you first became saved??? We were all on fire for God, right??? Definitely. It was a "new experience" that caused us to want/crave change and more of God....
2) Key word-- GROW UP in your salvation. These verses imply that spiritual milk is only sufficient for a time, not forever.
3) Once you are able to "taste" the goodness of God, there should be a desire within to strive for what's better, what's more perfect, the things and plans of God!
I say all that to say this. In order to do away with spiritual milk, an inward and an outward change must take place. If you desire to eat of the "meat" then it is going to require CHANGE. I personally do not feel that a person can grow spiritually without first changing inwardly. The inward then results in the outward. Once you have made a change, inwardly and outwardly, then you can find yourself leading towards growth...Spiritual growth. If, of course, that's the path you have chosen to seek after.
I feel like the following verse can piggy-back on what I am trying to say.
1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."
Even as we grow into maturity considering our physical bodies, we don't do certain things that we did in the past because we've matured, developed and grown.
So I guess our challenge would be this...Are we desperate enough to cling to Christ by being willing to change inwardly and outwardly? Calcium is good for a while, but at some point you get a hankering for steak.
I hope this encourages you but most importantly challenges you to seek after your change!
Deuteronomy 8:3
"He humbled you, causing you to to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
Until next time....
