Crawling to Maturity

But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
II Peter 3:18

I just saw an advertisement on television, one I've seen in one form or another before. The products may change in name, but all feature a baby under the age of one. Each of the babies I've seen only have a diaper on...the purpose of the advertisement. With each baby's cuteness, there is a brand-name diaper on the baby's little bottom. Each of the babies have something in common. As they crawl, often as fast as they can go, each little head is tilted upward with the biggest smile of accomplishment they can show. Once that crawling motion is learned, babies love to go full speed across a floor.

Parents often wonder if their crawlers will ever “toddle.” What most first time parents don't realize is that once their toddler learns and masters walking, they will be equipt to walk out of their home some day as young adults who seemingly grew up much to fast. As I sat watching a couple of such advertisements this evening, I thought back to three little crawlers I once had crawling across floors in my house. I must say, however, that they usually had more clothes on than just a diaper. I remember though that they had the same smiling looks of satisfaction.

Babies go from milk to junior foods and then table food. We wouldn't dare give a 5 month old baby a chicken leg or pork chop to chew on. An orderly progression of food and beverage for a baby is required or some serious conditions could result. Maturity is intended to be a measured thing that occurs at a steady pace.

Baby Christians go through some of the same stages in their spiritual lives as small babies do in their beginning months and years. I have always loved observing new Christians. They are excited to learn about the Bible, they have an enthusiasm that many mature Christians have since lost in their spiritual walks. Those babes in Christ study their Bibles, attend church as often as possible and even witness to others with no fear of criticism. Their spiritual enthusiasm is to be admired and personally attained to.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church from Ephesus. As we view the information we know about Corinth of Paul's day, it might remind us of any number of large cities in our own country. It was a major center where art, culture and commerce abounded. Along with all of those positive qualities came the reputation that sexual immorality was deeply ingrained in Corinth. Paul had received information that immorality and other vices had made their way into the church at Corinth. He loved this church, but in both books Paul wrote to those in Corinth, it is easy to see his great disappointment in the sinful condition of the church with apparently little concern on the part of most members to make corrections there.

Many of the members of the church in Corinth had found Christ as Savior under the preaching and teaching of Paul. Even the strongest of Christians in that church had become infected with sinful attitudes or actions of others or had become calloused regarding sin. Their enthusiastic baby days where they grew fast and steady seemed to have gone by the wayside. They should have by now been mature and still growing. Paul felt like he had to start all over with them. He said to them:

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.
I Corinthians 3:1,2

Notice in these verses that Paul begins by speaking to them as “brethren.” This means he was speaking to Christians, not non-Christians. Christians can get so caught up in the things of the world that their spiritual growth is stunted and for some, it may mean almost starting all over in “crawling” enthusiastically back to where they should be. Paul was having to feed them with the milk of the Word. They had lost the ability to eat the heavier meat of the Word. At Paul's writing, he says that the people still aren't able to eat the heavier meat God wants to provide. How very sad to have lost all that ground, but all hope was not gone. Hope is never gone for us as well if we have slipped backward. Paul held out hope for those in Corinth or he wouldn't have wasted time writing so lovingly in depth to the members of that church.

The writer to the Hebrews also addressed this thing of spiritual maturity. He doesn't appear to be reprimanding the people where they were, but was defining the difference between the babies in Christ and those who had matured to full age of their faith. The baby in Christ is the beginner, taking in spiritual milk with great vigor, like those crawling babies with smiles and eager anticipation of growing to the next step. He then speaks of the needs of the mature Christian who requires more than milk but requires stronger for for continued growth.

For every one that useth milk is unskillful
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 5:13,14

Real life, crawling, giggling, drooling babies are cute as can be. We love their energy and enthusiasm, but we also know they are in a growing process that is on going and so fun to watch. That ability to crawl is the beginning of a baby reaching physical maturity and standing on two feet. Baby Christians, too, are fun to watch, but not if they are still spiritually crawling after ten years. This happens to many folks where growth comes to a stand still, is stymied for some reasons, those reasons that usually boil down to sin problems.

Oh that you and I might be among those that the above writer speaks of as being “of full age,” who are able to take in the strong meat of the Word, who exercise their senses “to discern BOTH good and evil.” What is our spiritual age...still crawling... or... moving forward on two feet at a steady pace toward more and more maturity in Christ?

Dear Holy Spirit, continue to convict me of my sin, but encourage me through the Word that I will pay attention to Your voice as I read. May I willingly yield to your promptings whether in the Word or just in the everyday events of life. Heavenly Father, I want to grow spiritually that I may please You. In Jesus' precious name....Amen