Still a Baby?

"Hey, Mom," said Luke as he helped her in the kitchen after dinner, "you know Mr. Hahn always assigns Bible verses for us to read each week. This week they're from First Corinthians. I already read them, but . . . I don't get it! The Apostle Paul says he has to talk to the people like they're babies and feed them milk. That doesn't actually mean milk like we drink, does it?"

"No, but many of those people were acting like baby Christians," explained Mom as she stacked dishes in the cupboard. "It's something like . . . Wait! " She smiled. "Let's listen to a cassette I came across this week. I think you'll enjoy hearing it." She got the tape, put it into the cassette player, and turned it on.

As Luke and his mother sat down to listen, he heard giggles and then Dad's voice. "Welcome to the Browns. It's September 16, and Luke is three years old. He's going to tell us what he did in Sunday school today."

They heard more giggles and then, "I played with toys, and builded with blocks, and . . . and we sanged, and I sanged loud, and my teacher telled a story."

Luke laughed. "Is that really me talking?" he asked as the babyish voice went on to recite the ABCs. "I sound so little!"

"You were little," agreed Mom. "You don't sound like that or talk that way now, do you?"

Luke grinned. "I sure hope not!"

Mom smiled. "It was cute then, but if you talked like that now, it wouldn't be cute anymore," she said. "Just like it's important to grow physically, it's important to grow spiritually. Many people in Corinth had been Christians for quite a long time, but they still were acting and talking as though Christianity were something new to them." Mom sat back in her chair. "They had accepted Christ as Savior, but instead of obeying what God was teaching them, they argued over things-such as whether Paul or Apollos was the best preacher." She paused, then added, "We need to be careful not to be like that ourselves. It's a good idea for us to check and see how our spiritual growth is coming along."

Luke nodded. "I wouldn't like to sound like a three-year-old all my life-like I sounded on that tape," he said with smile, "and I wouldn't like to sound like a baby Christian all my life, either!"

How About You?

Have you been growing spiritually, or do you still act like a baby Christian? Here are some ways to measure your growth: Do you know more about God this year than you did last year? Can you quote more Bible verses this month than last month? Are you obeying God's commands and serving Him more quickly than you did before? Spiritual growth comes through talking to God, reading your Bible, learning more about the Lord, and serving Him. Make sure these things are part of your life.

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