“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
-1 Peter 2:1-2
When a child is born, the baby is dependent on milk or formula for nutrients.
When a mother gives birth, hormones are released in specific ways that allow the mother’s body to produce and release milk for the nourishment of the baby.
The child slowly grows and begins to develop teeth. The babies’ teeth allow it to feed on other sources of nutrients that are required for life.
If you were to give a 2-year-old child milk by itself as a source of dietary substance, the child would grow sick and eventually die, due to a lack of the required nutrients.
As the child grows, the child’s body demands a change of nutrients. The child now needs to eat solid foods and different types of it, in order to maintain a healthy body.
It’s the Same With Your Spiritual Life
The physical body and the spiritual are very similar. They both are in an active state of growth.
When we first came to Christ, God deposited inside of us a new living spirit.
Galatians 4:6-7 says:
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
Just like a new-born baby is dependant on a caretaker for its physical growth, so are we dependant on God for our spiritual growth.
1 Corinthians 3:7 reminds us that, “Then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”
Sometimes God uses His saints to water and feed you as a baby in Christ. All you have to do is listen, and God grows those seeds that they planted inside you.
Some saints deposit seeds, and other saints water them. These people are like your spiritual caretakers.
Additionally, there comes a time when one must not eat just solid foods, but the time comes when one must cook for themselves too.
There comes a time when we have to prepare our own healthy lunch and dinner.
Then the time comes when we don’t have to just prepare for ourselves, but we have to prepare for those who live in our homes as well.
It’s no different spiritually.
Hebrews 6:1-2 says:
“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.”
It’s Time For You to Grow
As an adult I can’t remember that last time someone had to remind me that I was hungry.
My body starts to react to the hunger in ways that are noticeable. I get jittery and cranky. Sometimes my head starts to hurt, and sometimes my stomach begins to burn.
I don’t depend on anyone else to tell me I’m feeling sick because of a lack of eating food.
When I start to spiritually starve, I can tell because the same signs start appearing:
1. Jittery = Anxious about situations that GOD is in control of
2. Cranky = Irritated and find myself walking in the flesh
3. Headaches = Uncomfortable thoughts and negative emotions
4. Stomach burns = Something inside is burning to seek my Heavenly Father
If you’re like me and have a family, then you might have people who depend on you not only physically, but spiritually as well.
It’s important that you keep yourself in good spiritual health so that you can feed those who are spiritually dependent on you.
Never Go on a Spiritual Diet
I encourage you to seek the LORD daily, and feed yourselves constantly.
Do it for you own good.
Don’t ignore the signs of spiritual starvation!
Due to the flesh being at war against the spirit every second of every minute, we must rehydrate with the living water that only Jesus Christ can provide continuously.
This can only be done by having a serious serving of biblical food with the perfect amount of water.
Don’t allow the enemy to stuff you with junk food which is so rotten at times that it can poison you.
The time is drawing near as it says in Ephesians 5:16, “Redeem the time, because the days are evil.”
The world that we live in is designed to keep the truth buried beneath a million lies.
The return of Christ is at hand.
This in turn means that spiritual warfare will only get more intense as the day draws near. If we aren’t spiritually healthy, we can eventually become spiritually sick.
Being sick is no fun.
So take the time to feed yourself biblical truth, and in doing so, you will reap the rewards of having let the LORD grow you into a strong and healthy child of GOD!
Psalm 1:2-3:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
“Due to the flesh being at war against the spirit every second of
every minute, we must rehydrate with the living water that only Jesus
Christ can provide continuously. This can only be done by having a serious serving of biblical food with the perfect amount of water.”
I loved this! It is so true how I will start to show “signs” that I am not in the word like I should be. It’s amazing to me how quickly and daily our flesh rises up if we let it…but when we are in the Word and get our daily “bread” we have the fuel we need to not allow those things to move us. Awesome post! Thank you for sharing!
Praise God!
Well said Romo. It’s amazing how we don’t want to miss a regular meal, but we think nothing of skipping “a meal with God” by not being in the word. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else, finding myself playing catch up with devotions. Why do I allow this to happen when God’s word is nourishment to the soul? Because it is difficult to reckon the old man dead at times. Like food, God’s word is fuel for our bodies, mind and spirit and prepares us for another day. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Appreciate the feedback. God bless!