Bye-Bye Bottle
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? 4 When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? I Corinthians 3:1-4
Have you ever noticed that babies don’t give up their bottles without a fight?
The bottle is so familiar to the baby. The baby often associates the bottle with security. They don’t want to lose that feeling of security. Change is hard for them. They cry, scream, wail, carry on, and will even try to sneak the bottle back if they can find a way.
But, staying on the bottle is not in the baby’s best interest. It will rob the baby of precious nutrients necessary for growth and development. That’s why parents must go through the painful task of transitioning their precious children from milk to solid food.
Christians are often the same way. We don’t like change, either. When God calls us off the bottle and into something new for our spiritual growth and development, we cry, scream, wail, and carry on, too! We like the familiar. It’s comfortable for us.
The change . . . the growth . . . can be scary . . . if we’re not trusting and depending on God.
God, out of love for us, must go through the painful task of transitioning us, too. As Christians, we are to put our faith and trust in God, knowing that whatever He puts us through is in our best interest, and it will bring glory and honor to Him.
But, God carries the scaries for us.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am sometimes scared by the new things You bring that are good for me. Help me to get my mind around how much you truly love me so that my faith and dependence upon You will grow.
In Jesus precious name,
AMEN.
Have you ever noticed that babies don’t give up their bottles without a fight?
The bottle is so familiar to the baby. The baby often associates the bottle with security. They don’t want to lose that feeling of security. Change is hard for them. They cry, scream, wail, carry on, and will even try to sneak the bottle back if they can find a way.
But, staying on the bottle is not in the baby’s best interest. It will rob the baby of precious nutrients necessary for growth and development. That’s why parents must go through the painful task of transitioning their precious children from milk to solid food.
Christians are often the same way. We don’t like change, either. When God calls us off the bottle and into something new for our spiritual growth and development, we cry, scream, wail, and carry on, too! We like the familiar. It’s comfortable for us.
The change . . . the growth . . . can be scary . . . if we’re not trusting and depending on God.
God, out of love for us, must go through the painful task of transitioning us, too. As Christians, we are to put our faith and trust in God, knowing that whatever He puts us through is in our best interest, and it will bring glory and honor to Him.
But, God carries the scaries for us.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I am sometimes scared by the new things You bring that are good for me. Help me to get my mind around how much you truly love me so that my faith and dependence upon You will grow.
In Jesus precious name,
AMEN.
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