spiritual maturity

Imagine The Seed

Imagine The Seed

Imagine holding one of those seeds in your hand while you stand at the base of a fully grown tree strong enough to have nests built into its branches.
 

Spiritually Lactose-Intolerant

There is a great story about Martin Luther, which I love to remember.  He was the pastor of a certain church, and all the people began to complain.  Martin Luther had been preaching "the gospel" every single week at church.

I suspect much like Christians today, his congregation was frustrated.  So they went to him with their frustration (likely after several weeks of bickering behind his back).

"Pastor Luther?" they said.

"Please!  Call me Martin."

"Okay! Martin?  We're pretty frustrated with this week after week presentation of the gospel you got going on here.  We already know this stuff.  Can we move on please?"

"Nope!"

"For crying out loud, Martin!  Why do you have to preach the gospel to us week in and week out?"

Martin, having probably practiced his response for weeks in his bathroom mirror, says,

"BECAUSE DAY IN AND DAY OUT YOU FORGET IT!"

I love that story!

The 3rd Chapter of 1 Corinthians reminded me of that story today.  Paul had to do the same thing for the Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2 reads: "And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.  I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.  Even now you are still not ready..."

There is no such thing as a spiritually lactose-intolerant person.  I think we all need milk from time to time, if not every single day.  I, for one, could use a daily reminder of the gospel, because I certainly forget day in and day out.  I need to be like an elementary school lunch.  Every lunch comes with milk.  Yes, of course give me the meat and let me chew on it, but always make sure I have my little carton of milk to go along with it.