The life of a Christian is clearly designed to be one of spiritual growth and maturity (Hebrews 5:12-14). Having been born again through the incorruptible seed of God’s word which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23), the child of God must lay “aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, (amd) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:1-2).
The Word’s milk will nurture and sustain spiritual growth until God’s child is able to ingest its meat. It is God’s intention that His children reach a state of spiritual and emotional maturity that their trust in Him has grown to a point that they are like a weaned child: “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:2).
When unanticipated difficulties arise—when you fall into various trials (James 1:2), do you respond like an infant that needs instant reassurance at its mother’s breast, or do you calm and quiet your soul like a weaned child?
When you do go to another and do not even receive the courtesy of a sincere “Thank you”, do you respond like an infant that needs instant reassurance at its mother’s breast, or do you calm and quiet your soul like a weaned child?
When you are expecting a different outcome than the sorely disappointing one you received, do you respond like an infant that needs instant reassurance at its mother’s breast, or do you calm and quiet your soul like a weaned child?
When you work hard on a project that turns out magnificently and a fellow worker takes all the credit, do you respond like an infant that needs instant reassurance at its mother’s breast, or do you calm and quiet your soul like a weaned child?
When life’s rains descend, floods come, and its winds blow and beat upon you (Matthew 7:25, 27), do you respond like an infant that needs instant reassurance at its mother’s breast, or do you calm and quiet your soul like a weaned child?
Joseph is an excellent Bible example of one who calmed and quieted his soul like a weaned child with his mother through the many trials of his life.
Can the same be said of you?
