The Christian Diet - Don't Get Stuck on Baby's Milk

So, my wife is away at a conference for the weekend, it's seven PM and my stomach starts to grumble. My sons ask me, "What's for dinner?" "Hmmm? I'm not really sure. Let me look and see what we have." BINGO! Frozen mozzarella sticks and a bowl of Lucky Charms. Dad is the greatest! Then, just to complete the menu we finish off the last of the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. As the final spoonful goes down, the phone rings.

"Hi honey. How's your trip", I say.

"Great. What did you and the boys have for dinner?"

"Um, well just some stuff."

"What kind of stuff"

"Mozzarella sticks, Lucky Charms, and ice cream."

"Wonderful!" She says with a sigh. "And what vegetable did you make?"

"Don't the green marshmallows have some vegetables in them?"

GO DAD!

Nutrition. We're surrounded by diets, been taught the food groups, and know what we need to eat to stay healthy. Clearly, my attempt at preparing dinner was inadequate and over time (if I was in charge) my boys would become over weight and vitamin deficient and eventually the Child Protective Service would come and haul them away.

OK, what does this have to do with being a Christian? Read on. Good nutrition starts when we are born. We know that the very best food a new born baby can have is mother's milk. In the first few days after birth moms make a special milk called colostrum which has a variety of growth factors and also antibodies to help fight infection. Then the milk changes to regular breast milk. The baby's small body and immature digestive system isn't ready for solid food yet. A T-bone steak and mashed potatoes just wouldn't sit well. Not only that, it's little toothless gums couldn't even begin to chew the meat.

I want to share with you a spiritual correlation to this concept of nutrition and growth. Although what I'm about to share applies particularly to those who have already accepted Christ, I don't want those of you who haven't to stop here. Please keep reading. When we are new to the faith (or maybe exploring our faith) we are like newborns. Actually, the Bible says that when we trust Christ, we have been born again so this is probably very accurate. As newborns, we aren't ready for solid food or things that are hard to swallow. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to an immature church in the city of Corinth, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly - mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready for it."

There is a time in the life of a Christian and in the life of a church when we need to be fed baby's milk (the simple things of the faith). Here is the problem. Many people and many churches never move past the baby food and their growth is stunted. They may have the gift of salvation but they struggle in and with the world and don't have the knowledge of the Word nor do they grow in their understanding of the deeper things of God. Because of their lack of growth they are spiritually weak and when the winds of life blow they are easily toppled.

Then there are those who begin to dine on more grown up spiritual food but only the food that tastes good. Like I said in my last post, these are the ones who only like the parts of the Bible that make them feel good and don't make them uncomfortable. This is like the fats and carbohydrates in the food world. I love a good piece of Boston cream pie and I love french fries. They are easy to chew, taste great, and go down easy. But, if I ate only those things I would grow in girth, be tired, and very unfit. Sometimes I need to eat protein. Protein is harder to chew and occasionally I may need to even cut it in small pieces to get it down. Protein is like the deeper and harder to understand parts of the Word but without them we stay little children and even infants in Christ. Paul spoke to the Church at Corinth to encourage them to grow.

Then there are the Brussels sprouts and the radishes! The things that make kid's faces contort and grimace but the things packed with vitamins and minerals. They (at least to most of us) taste like dirt and just rub us the wrong way. These are the parts of the Bible that we just don't like to hear but are, nonetheless, as true as the parts that say God loves us. For instance, in the parable of the sheep and the goats when Jesus describes his second coming he tells his disciples that all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Then he will say to the goats (the unrighteous) "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels." Wow, If that isn't a spiritual radish I don't know what is! But, it is from the mouth the One who also says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." That is more like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day! But we need to feed on both to grow in the knowledge of God.

So, my friend, if you are in a church or Bible study and seem to be getting only baby's milk, or maybe just the desert, you might want to also find a place to get some meat and vegetables. Find a bible believing small group or bible study that presses you and challenges you. Find a good book that dives into the deep things of God and see how you grow. Open the Word, read the Book of Matthew and ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see and discern. See how you stand when the tidal waves come and try to sweep you away! See how your faith grows and then you will also start to feed others who maybe still sipping on milk. Don't be afraid or offended by those parts that don't seem to taste so good. God knows what he's doing and he knows what you need. The banquet is ready! Come.

Peace,

David