Puppies, Infants and Challenges of Spiritual Growth

My granddaughter Rhyan holding 
"Honey" when she was a pup.

Aren’t puppies cute? They quickly run here and there, bounding around to check out all the things that are new to them. As their teeth start to come in, they chew on everything. They’re full of reckless energy, except for the moments when nature calls and they squat. Oops! Even then, we accept it because they’re little and we know they’ll become house-trained and grow out of it.

The same holds true for babies. They gurgle and giggle, wide-eyed with every new experience. After a while they discover the novelty of standing up, then take their first unsteady, halting steps, taking little tumbles but learning to get back up. Of course, there’s that diaper thing, but it’s okay because we know they’ll become potty-trained and grow out of that.

 

But what if they didn’t “grow out of it.” How would you react if the little pup continues chewing on everything in sight as it gets bigger – and continues using the entire house as a restroom? Not so cute then, huh? And if the baby grows up, but still can’t walk properly, continues speaking only in infantile gibberish and never grasps what the toilet is for? We’d start to worry, because clearly something’s not right.

 

Have you ever considered that this is true spiritually as well? We often use the broad term “Christian” to describe someone having saving faith in Jesus Christ, but just as humans can be infants, adolescents, teenagers, young and older adults, followers of Jesus also can be on different levels of spiritual maturity. If, after a reasonable period of time, we’re still experiencing spiritual infancy, something’s wrong.

 

The apostle Paul addressed this in one of his letters to believers in ancient Corinth. He chided them, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?” (1 Corinthians 3:2-3).

 

We find similar concern expressed by the writer of the book of Hebrews: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrew 5:12-14).

 

For babies, a steady diet of milk is fine. In fact, it’s usually just what the doctor orders. But as they get older, it’s time to move on to more complex forms of food. The same principle applies to spiritual growth. Hunger for God’s Word, wanting not only to hear it but also to understand it and use it in our lives, is one evidence of a growing Christ follower. We can study it, memorize it, meditate on it, integrate it into our daily behavior, and share it with others.

 

Another evidence of growth in our walk with God is a desire to experience a deeper relationship with Him. In the Amplified Bible’sexpanded translation of Philippians 3:10, the first portion reads, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly….” We could ask ourselves, “Does this describe me?”

 

Years ago, I had a friend who had spent much of his life investing in other men, mentoring and discipling them toward spiritual maturity. He often said he looked for FAT men – not individuals suffering from obesity, but people who were Faithful, Available and Teachable. They showed themselves to be reliable and ready to learn. This too is a mark of a growing, maturing believer. Writing to his protégé, Timothy, Paul gave these instructions:

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

 

The list could go on, but one other evidence of spiritual growth and maturity is “spiritual fruit,” a consistent demonstration of Christlikeness through the things we do and what we say. 

 

After citing “acts of the sinful nature” that are seen in both non-believers and immature believers – including such things as sexual immorality, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition and envy – the apostle Paul described “fruit” of a growing spiritual life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

He wasn’t saying we must exhibit each of these perfectly at all times, but progress should be evident, especially in areas where we have personally struggled. Such as overwhelming anxiety, impatience, lack of concern for others, and failure to control our tempers. 

 

In his second letter, the apostle Peter referred to this as being able to “participate in the divine nature.” He wrote: 

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).

 

Reading this, we might think, “Wow! According to this, I have a long way to go!” But that’s the point. The spiritual life isn’t a destination, but a lifelong journey, including the “two steps forward, three steps back” experiences we all encounter. 

It seems daunting, but if we are genuine followers of Jesus, we have this assurance: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion to the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). To which it would be appropriate to add a hearty, “Amen!” 

Not All There Is to Know, But All We Need to Know

How many books have you read more than once? It may seem bold to ask this question, since reading books is becoming a thing of the past for many people. What with all the channels on cable TV, the Internet, video games, text messaging and other distractions, who has time to read, right?

 

But for those who still enjoy the feel of a tangible book, the rustle of pages turning, the smell of paper and ink, and the adventure of discovering what the author has packed inside the book, I ask again: How many books have you read more than once? (Comic books don’t count.)

 

Personally, I’ve enjoyed reading a few classic novels a second or even third time. I’ve re-read George Orwell’s 1984 several times because his cautionary, dystopian tale appears to be unfolding right before our eyes, in real time. There are several books by Christian authors I’ve revisited, seeking to draw from their wells of wisdom again. 

 

There’s one book, however, that I have read cover to cover well over a dozen times. Perhaps you can guess what it is: the Bible. If I were to begin using adjectives to describe what the Bible – the Word of God – has meant for me over the years, I’d have to consult a thesaurus to cover all the bases. Words like amazing, incredible, and life-changing can’t begin to capture the impact of the Scriptures.

 

Why have I read it so much? Not because I expect any divine pats on the back or “extra credit.” It’s just that as I’ve read through the Bible year after year, I’ve found it kind of like peeling an onion – remove one layer and discover there’s another layer right below it, then another, and another. I’m convinced that an entire lifetime of reading through the Scriptures could barely begin to capture its vast treasures.

 

There are many reasons for this. Its length is one. One Bible I regularly use for reference has nearly 1,550 pages of purely biblical text – no footnotes, and not including the compilers’ introduction, table of contents, foreword, and index. Since it consists of 39 Old Testament books and 27 in the New Testament, written by dozens of different authors, there’s a lot to read from a variety of perspectives.

 

In the Bible we find narratives, history, poetry, letters, personal accounts, and other forms of writing, all pointing to one central theme: Jesus Christ and God’s plan for the redemption of His creation, most notably, humankind. That’s a lot to absorb.

 

But there’s another reason why the Scriptures are so compelling, so intriguing that they can be read again and again and again without ever seeming stale. The secret, I believe, is found in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judged the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

The best novel, or a classic book that has endured centuries, might be fun to read again, but it will always say the same things. The Bible, however, has the uncanny capacity to speak to us differently each time we read it. That is, God through His Word can speak to us differently every time. This is because as we continue in our journey through life, we encounter the Scriptures in new ways, depending on what we’re experiencing and how we’ve changed.

 

An old friend, an agnostic, once told me that he regarded the Bible as “a primer, something you read once, and then you move on to something more sophisticated.” No offense intended, but I think that might be one of the most ridiculous things anyone has ever said. Because nothing is more comprehensive, profound, penetrating, and timeless as the Word of God. Its principles, principles and truths have transcended the ages and will continue doing so until Christ’s promised return. 

 

At the same time, I have no problem acknowledging the Bible doesn’t tell us all there is to know about God. How could it? But it does tell us all we need to know about God.

 

I like how 2 Peter 1:3-4 expresses it: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires.”

 

Back in 1966, a movie came out called “Alfie,” starring Michael Caine. Its theme song asked, “What’s it all about?” This is a question that resonates with millions of people to this day. We ask things such as, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What’s my purpose in life?” “Where do I find meaning?” The Scriptures, I can say without any reservation, answer each of these questions – and many more – if we’re only willing to give them an honest, open-minded look.

 

In the longest of the Psalms, the writer asks and then answers, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11).

 

We live in a world that seems spinning out of control. I believe it’s primarily because we’ve turned our backs on our Creator, the One who has laid out for us in His Word how we should live. As the King James Version puts it, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Another translation says it a bit differently – “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.” But then the verse ends, “but happy is he who keeps [God’s] law.”

As wondrous as the Bible is, the divinely inspired Word of God, it’s barely the tip of the proverbial iceberg about all that is possible to know about Him. But it definitely tells us all we need to know about Him.