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Babies are extremely cute and exciting and are the hope and future of the village. Everybody loves them and rejoices to see and hear them. Babies are loud and noisy and like singing and running and jumping. Babies make friends with one another and go and school trips and visits to the zoo and lots of cute things. They travel in busses.
I miss it when my sons where babies and toddlers. When they jumped up and down on my lap and chewed my nose like a rubber dummy when their gums itched. Sonja misses this even more than I.
We enjoy when they believed everything we said and looked up to us in every way and followed us all over.
BUT
Healthy Babies grow up and become big hairy men. Sometimes they stink and sometimes they make mistakes.
God Designed Life for Maturity
Adults are not as cute and likeable as babies and small children. I find it strange how quickly babies grow into toddlers, into children and into young men and then adults.
Behaviour that is cute and funny in infants is not cool in older children and very problematic in young adults.
BUT
Whatever God Makes Grows!
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. ” (1 Peter 2:1–3, NKJV)
Failure to Grow and Rapidly Transform is a Disaster
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
” (Hebrews 5:12–14, NKJV)
Growing Beyond Milk
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
” (1 Corinthians 3:1–4, NKJV)
Christian Maturity Stages
12 I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
” (1 John 2:12–14, NKJV)
