Take the Next Step

It’s always amazing to watch a baby grow. Babies start with milk for nourishment, then move to baby food, and then are fed digestible adult food. And eventually they graduate to feeding themselves.

Growing up is a process, and we must nurture babies to maturity.

In the same way, when we come to Christ, we’re spiritual babies. The apostle Peter wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2 NKJV). At first, we need spiritual milk. Then we move to baby food, and then we consume food served in bite-sized pieces, which is called a sermon.

But the goal is to learn how to feed ourselves and prepare our own spiritual food, which means that we learn to study the Bible for ourselves.

However, some Christians have never taken the next step. They haven’t grown up spiritually. Although they’ve been Christians for quite some time, they never have really matured.

The writer of Hebrews said, “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God” (6:1 NKJV).

It’s called growing up spiritually.

Paul wrote that God gave us leaders in the church to help us mature and to equip us for the work of ministry. But he also said, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:14–15 NKJV).

There is more to living the Christian life than receiving forgiveness for our sins and the assurance of Heaven. Are you growing up spiritually?