God’s primary path for our growth

Each of us has seen this before – someone has all the raw talent in the world, but they fail to reach their full potential.  And what is the typical cause?  Because they didn’t put in the work.

Examples are easily found in sports.  We see someone who dominates in high school, is the best athlete on the field in college, but then, when they get to the pros…they quickly flame out.  Their natural abilities can take them only so far, but at some point, they need to combine their giftedness with a dedication to learning and developing.  While a few of these late-to-realize athletes may figure it out and course correct to achieve an average-to-good career, most others simply fall to the wayside, leaving a legacy of what-could-have-been.

We know of similar stories in academia and other careers.  Perhaps you’ve even lived this yourself.  Early successes can fool us into thinking we’ll always be at the top of our game, but as the road gets tougher…we’re challenged with the realization that the amount of effort and knowledge that got us to this point won’t necessarily be enough to take us further on.

That’s when these hard lessons need to be learned:
·       You don’t know what you don’t know.
·       You gotta learn that you gotta learn.
·       It takes maturity to realize that you need to mature.
·       You have to practice at practicing.

The problem?  We don’t always realize these are the lessons we need, or, worse yet, we fight against them.  We get stubborn and keep doing things the way we’ve always done it, simply because it’s worked for us in the past.  But when we stubbornly stagnate, we miss out on fulfilling our potential, and we forfeit opportunities that could have been ours.

You may not realize it, but we can stagnate the same way in our spiritual growth, too.  In fact, the author of the book of Hebrews warned his readers about this.  They had not progressed as they could have…as they should have…and they were living through the consequences of their stubborn choices:

Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.  In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

They didn’t know about living with righteousness (which means to be living rightly before God) because they weren’t ready for it.  They had trouble making wise choices and difficulty telling the difference between good and evil because they rejected being trained to do so.

He includes a painful critique – though by this time you ought to be teachers.  The readers had no excuse.  They had the talent.  They had the opportunity.  They had the resources.  They had ample time.  But up to this point…they have squandered it all.  And they are struggling because of it.

But the author says they still have a way out of their immaturity, and it is a two-step process:

1.      they need to start with God’s word
2.      they need to be trained…by constant use, i.e. – they need to practice

You and I mature by taking these same steps.  Are we engaging God through His word and putting what He teaches us into practice?  God is willing to walk us down this path of growth and maturity, but we have to meet Him there.  Don’t be a stubborn infant, like the original recipients of Hebrews.  Don’t be slow to learn.  It’s time to mature.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

What a baby can tell us about Bible study

Let’s be honest…newborn babies don’t do a whole lot.  They eat, sleep, poop, and cry.  For the amount of work and round-the-clock effort they need, a running joke you’ll often hear new parents say is, “It’s a good thing they’re cute…”.

The terms “new birth” and “born again” are frequently used in the New Testament to describe what happens to a person who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  When you believe this, Jesus promises that we have new, eternal life:

John 3:16
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Of course, Jesus’ disciples heard all about this “new life” as they followed Him during His earthly ministry.  So it’s not surprising that they would use similar terms in their own writings.  At the beginning of his letter to believers scattered across modern-day Turkey, Peter not only refers to our new birth, but two things we have been born into:

1 Peter 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

Peter says we have been born into a living hope for the present life and into an inheritance in the life to come.  After reminding his readers how unique and special this new life is (despite any persecution they currently face), Peter encourages them to leave behind their old lifestyle and pursue living out of their new life as a believer.

While that sounds like a great idea, his readers need to know how to get there.  Does he expect them to just white-knuckle their way through life, avoiding all the bad behaviors they can along the way?  No, he doesn’t.  Instead Peter gives them practical advice, by going back to the new birth analogy:

1 Peter 2:2-3
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Three observations about a newborn infant in Peter’s example:

1.      The attitude of the baby – How quickly does a newborn reach for his mother’s breast?  Babies might not know much, but they know where to go for what they need, and they will aggressively grab and pursue the nourishment they desire.

2.      The appetite of the baby – They are hungry, and only milk will satisfy.  How often do babies need to eat?  About every 3-4 hours, right?  How does that time frame compare to how often we go to God’s word for nourishment?  A baby wouldn’t survive eating just once a week on Sundays.

3.      The aim of the baby – He’s not eating just to fill his belly.  As he takes in the milk, his body uses it to grow.  A baby is not meant to stay a baby forever, and neither are we.  As we feed on the pure milk of the word, we will then grow up and mature in our new life.

Peter’s point is that we go to God’s word to sustain and develop our new life – but note that he said grow and not “know”.  While you cannot grow without knowledge, the focal point of our study of the Bible is growth, not simply collecting trivia.

You cannot grow out of being a spiritual infant without a steady diet of God’s word.  It is God’s primary tool for developing His children.  Growth may be scary or messy at times, but life is bigger, better, and full of more opportunities for those who mature and grow.  That is how we experience the promised living hope now and prepare for our future inheritance.

Keep Pressing,
Ken