“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”
Hebrews 5:12-13
My wife and I have a 3 month old daughter. The only thing she eats is milk. Right now, that’s normal. That’s exactly what she needs. In fact, it would be detrimental to her growth and health if we tried to give her something else. She is young and undeveloped and her body can’t handle solid food. She needs milk.
What if I changed things to say that I had a 3 year old daughter who still only eats milk? Would that be normal? What about a 5 year old? Or a 10 year old? What about a teenager? How strange would it be to hear of a teenager who still lives off of breastmilk alone? It would be downright concerning if you ask me. No one would think that would be normal. By that time, a person should absolutely be consuming solid food. Heck, by that age they should be able to work to grow or pay for their own food.
So when we think of ourselves in these terms spiritually, why are our standards so much different? A brand new Christian who is still learning would be expected to need metaphorical milk – the basics of scripture. You wouldn’t go teaching a brand new Christian the intricacies of a nuanced theological debate. You would teach them the basics. But what about after 5 years of being a Christian? Should you still be on milk, still receiving only basic teachings of the gospel? What about after 10 years?
I believe that the Church today has become, in large part, a group of grown adults who are stuck on milk, never making it to solid food. By this, I don’t mean that not enough people are studying difficult theological concepts. I mean that we have grown a preference for the coddling and safety of perpetually being taught and retaught the basics – we never go out to grow or buy our own food, so to speak. The Hebrews writer says, “by this time, you ought to be teachers.” How many of us have spent our entire lives in church, yet still feel ill equipped to teach or evangelize? It’s a rampant attitude in the church. Studies show that they majority of Christians don’t think they know enough to effectively share the gospel. They’re still on milk.
It’s time that we get off milk and get onto solid food. It’s time that we stop being afraid to step out and teach, preach, and act on the gospel. It’s time that we leave the comfort zone of easily digestible, palatable, safe “milk” and find solid food.
How long have you been a Christian? Are you still on milk, or have you matured to solid food? Is it time? If not, then when will it be? We can’t breastfeed forever.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for the figurative “milk” teachings that we’ve received that help us to grow in our faith and understanding as we mature. I pray though, that we will not grow comfortable in that stage of our faith journey, but instead grow into a mature faith that requires solid food. I pray that you will empower and encourage us to go into the world to teach and preach and experience the work of your kingdom rather than just sit back and listen to someone else teach us time and time again.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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