GOT MILK?

Spiritual Nutrition

Anything that has life must grow. It is a natural law that cannot be defied.  Gowth is a mandatory aspect of life for every living creature, from the birds in the air to the cells in one's body, we must all grow. In life, we do not always associate growth with maturity but when it comes to the Christian life, a believer growing in his/her faith, is a maturing believer. 

Once you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you are considered a child of God. What we need to understand is that just as a baby has to go through stages of growth, from an infant to a toddler to a preschooler, so does every  born-again individual  in their new life with God. The sole nutrition for every newborn is milk.  Although there are different types and qualities of milk, the fact is that, babies when born cannot take in solid food. It is a process of growth which involves two variables; the source and the quality of nutrition being given.

The Source Dictates the quality

Science has recommended breastfeeding as the optimum means and form of feeding for newborns and so for most mothers, breastfeeding is not an option. It is a necessity for the overall wellbeing of their child.  In a similar light, Peter likens the Word of God to 'PURE milk' in 1 Peter  2:2.  Note here that Peter chose to qualify 'milk' with the adjective 'pure'. The Greek translation used in that particular scripture is the word 'adolos' which means 'unadulterated' or 'pure'.  We are therefore being admonished as believers that in order to grow we need to, firstly, ensure that our source of milk is undiluted and uncontaminated. It has to be trusted, proven and tested as 1 John 4:1 teaches. The answer therefore to the looming question of who our sources is has been given. The Bible, which is the Word of God is our PRIMARY source as newborns. However, since as babies, we might not have the spiritual capacity to unclothe our mother's torso and latch onto the true source of food (the Word of God), we need physical and spiritual guidance. Do let us know of any newborn who has been able to feed themselves with no help at all since that would be a first. As a newborn in Christ, you can read the Bible cover to cover and not gain the wisdom and insight a true man/woman of God might receive. Mind you, no one ever has this wisdom or insight from birth too, it is given and nurtured by the Holy Spirit himself. This is why it is important to test or prove the spirit of those you feed from. If it is not the Holy Spirit providing the spiritual milk, your food is guaranteed to be compromised and that can affect your development as a child of God. No child ever grew up healthy drinking spoilt milk! So please prove the spirit behind the source. Some helpful tips would be 

• Praying earnestly for God's direction as to whom you should go to for spiritual feeding. 
• Ensuring that any community or church of believers you go to is a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching based church. 
• Praying before you listen to any audio or watch any video preaching or teaching 
• Doing the same with books and reading materials 
• Finally, crosschecking every sermon, counsel, opinion with the word of God. Brooding  over it and ensuring it is completely aligned with God's words.

Do NOT ever compromise as you are building the foundation for your Christian life. A bad foundation will have dire consequences on future additions. Be very careful. Your biblical and spiritual perspectives can be misguided with the wrong nutrition or source.  This explains why some people still latch onto polygamy, for example, as a biblical prescription, quoting Old Testament scriptures to support their belief. There are many perspectives that are unfortunately associated with God because of contaminated milk or unproven sources.  

Cravings 

Once you have ascertained the authenticity of the milk and the source, the next step to spiritual growth is your own desire or longing for that milk. 1 Peter 2:2 instructs us "...to long for the pure milk...". We must desire the food in order to be fed it. Have you ever dealt with a hungry newborn before? Their ear-piercing, blood-curdling screams begets the attention of the mother immediately. A hungry baby who demonstrates his/her hunger is always satiated without delay.  

As newborns in Christ let us scream out our yearning for God and His ways by cultivating our minds for the things that pertain to Him, especially His Word. How do we do this? Not unlike all new situations, mindsets have to be renewed and priorities have to shift for God to be numero uno (Romans 12:2). You are a newborn in Christ Jesus, so whatever you did, whoever you were before you accepted Him as Lord and Saviour of your life does not count. It does not! Everything has been erased and that is why you are a new creation, a newborn. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Set your mind on the things of God. Have conversations with Him in your head. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you and before you know it, you will not want to know anything but Christ Jesus and His crucifixion as Paul boldly declares in 1 Corinthians 2:2. 

Every person in the Bible was not more special than you, except Jesus who is Lord. To top it off, Jesus Christ after His resurrection has given us the power and authority, the grace and might, and most importantly, the Holy Spirit to do ALL things (Philippians 4:13). That anointing on King David can be yours, Solomon's wisdom pales in comparison to that which we can receive through Jesus Christ and our precious assurance of eternal life makes everything else seem blanched. Be convinced of this; we are finitely assured that being a newborn in Christ is a thousand times better than being an old sage in the world, for we have something in us that is more powerful than all the powers of this earth; the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:11)

Be blessed as you seek out pure, concentrated spiritual milk on the journey to spiritual maturity.