You're Such A "Baby"...

Ahhh, the feeling of conviction.  How warm and fuzzy it makes me feel.  Oh, how I love it.  


Ok, so feeling convicted isn't really my most favorite of experiences.  I recognize how important it is to my spiritual growth, but the truth is...it's embarrassing.  And what do I do with embarrassing things that happen to me? I publish them on the internet, of course!  Let's begin...


Hebrews 5:12-14 (NASB) says this:
"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."


Enter conviction.


Before reading these verses I probably wouldn't have considered myself a spiritual "infant".  I knew I was still learning and growing, but I probably would've classified myself as at least a spiritual "4th Grader", or a "tall-for-my-age-toddler" at the very least.  And then I again read the last sentence, which is verse 14:
"But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."


Ok...so if you're not having solid food, which is for the mature, you are having milk.  If you are having milk, then you are an infant.  And how do we identify who the mature/solid food/non infant ones are?  Well, they are the ones who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.  Practice.  Practice.  Not who "because of church attendance, active listening skills or the ability to read scriptures"...those who practice.


Just for fun, here's the definition of practice as a verb:
"Perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency."


And as a noun (which I unfortunately found even more convicting):
"The actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use."


So Google has confirmed it, then.  If I'm not fully practicing my Christianity, I'm not mature in it.  I know this is obvious stuff, no big hidden mystery here...but it's something worth taking a moment to think about.  If you immediately think "well yes, I'm a practicing and therefore mature Christian", you should have no problem listing all the places that you're known to be "practicing" at.  Do your coworkers known you're a Christian, not because you've told them, but because of the way you live?  Does that slow, annoying employee at the gas station know you're a Christian because of the patience and love you consistently display?  How often do you randomly give to someone in need? Do you gossip at work with your coworkers like a practicing non-Christian? How are you serving others? How often does God use you to deliver a message?


If an athlete is training for the Olympics, the people who come in contact with them will probably have some idea of what's going on.  What they eat and drink will probably vary from what the Average Joe consumes.  The neighbors are probably fully aware of their diligence and determination in training.  Strangers have probably observed them doing things to get ready, and have maybe even been inspired to do some sit ups themselves because of it.  They're practicing.  We're supposed to be practicing, too.


We're not to gain the ability to discern good and evil by listening to our preacher.  I think I've sometimes had the idea that I would absorb and learn information, sit in a pew and let it fester for a while, and then one day God would ask me to do something super cool like build an Ark to save humanity and I'd be ready because of all the festering I'd done.  Ummm, not so.  God's going to ask the one out there "practicing" their faith to build the Ark...they've already got the muscles for it, after all. 


(P.S. if you think that God communicates with you primarily by giving you a "good feeling", then you could be mistaking His presence for His confirmation or communication...the Noah and the Ark story is a pretty good example of God's ability to communicate and give extremely clear instruction.  He invented communication after all, and Noah didn't hover his hand over his tools waiting for a "good feeling" to know which one to use next.  Just a random side note.)


Hebrews 6:7-8 (NASB) Says:
"For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned."


Not only is my festering without action (why do I keep using the word "fester"!?) not helpful to my spiritual growth at all, but my receiving "rain" and then doing nothing with it makes me "worthless and close to being cursed"...it ends up being burned.  I know two things for certain today...I don't want to be burned...And I also don't want to make it to Heaven and instead of God saying "Well done!" have him say "Yeah, you were awfully close to being cursed." Awkward.  



...Lord, forgive me for often being a Christian who is content to sit on the sidelines.  Forgive me for allowing myself to be deceived into thinking that "learning" about you is the path to spiritual maturity.  Your word says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ.  Help me to seek Christ above knowledge of Christ, and to live a life that will be a blessing to you and to those around me. 


Exit Conviction.