Moving On to Solid Food

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV)

There are some in the body of Christ who simply refuse to grow up. They get stuck in the early stages of their Christian development and only go so far in the things of God. These are the people who don’t want to study the Word, but expect the pastor and other spiritual leaders to do it for them. They seek after people to pray for them, but they fail to pursue God in prayer for themselves. Their growth is stunted, and although they have been saved for a number of years, they are like spiritual babies because they have not grown up. They are still on milk, instead of eating the good, solid teaching of the Word.

In the natural, each child reaches a stage where they can abandon milk and can go on to solid food, eventually even eating meat. If a person continued to live on only milk, they would not grow and develop and they would not be a healthy individual.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? I Corinthians 3:1-3 (KJV)

Spiritual babies are not hard to spot. They are carnal and earthly in their thinking and actions. They walk in the flesh rather than the spirit. Envy, strife, and divisions are evident in their lives. They are constantly dealing with some sort of drama or problem.

At a certain point, each believer must take responsibility for their own walk with God and stop relying on others to do everything for them spiritually. There are things in the Word of God beyond the basic doctrines of salvation, and we need them to progress in the things of God. If you know that you have been guilty of relying on the faith and spirituality of others and have not developed yourself, now is the time to change that. First of all, repent of being spiritually lazy and immature. Then, seek to be mentored by a more mature believer. And be serious about it- don’t waste their time, but follow their example and instruction. Study the Word, pray, actually do the things the Word tells you to do. If you will be diligent to act on the Word, you will see growth, and you will be able to eat the strong meat of the Word, instead of the baby food you were trying to live on.