Oh Grow Up

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 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.”
Hebrews 5:11-12

Way back in the 80’s there was a catchy little tune used to advertise a particular toy store. Do you know the one I’m thinking of? It went something like “I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R us Kid…” It was a great commercial, that expresses possibly something we’d would've liked when we were kids – to stay a kid. We couldn’t stay kids though could we; we had to grow up, be responsible and take our place in our communities, our place in the world. Sometimes I think we purposely try to stay a kid in some aspects of our lives. We may each have a different place in our lives where we have convinced ourselves that it’s ok not to grow up.

In this week’s passage the writer of Hebrews is addressing a group of believers who have apparently decided that it was ok not to grow up spiritually and become mature followers of Jesus. Most likely they were making this decision out of worldly fear rather than trusting in the Good News they had received and the One who made that good news possible. The writer basically calls them a bunch of babies (Hebrews 5:13) and then says to them “Oh grow up” (Hebrews 6:1). Fear, personal comfort and often a skewed understanding of what it means to be a mature follower of Jesus can stunt our growth.

Only one thing about following Jesus is safe – being faithful and obedient to the end will get us an eternity with God Almighty. Other than that nothing else about following Jesus is safe, in fact it is risky and dangerous. In Matthew 24 Jesus warns His followers that they will be persecuted and put to death for their faith. Remember that in the story of the talents the servant who took no risk at all ended up the loser when it was time for his evaluation (see Matthew 25:15-30). We are not meant to be bench warmers in God’s kingdom and economy, we are meant to be ministers of the good news – all of us.

Fortunately for us the writer of Hebrews encourages us to grow up and gives us some clues as to what that looks like. First we need to constantly practice what we’ve been taught in other words we need to know and do. We also need to practice discernment so that we can easily and regularly distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).

We’ll know we are growing up and becoming spiritually mature by the fruit our lives produce. The more mature, the more and better fruit we produce. The willingness to take risks, to stand on God’s promise to be with us always and to use all we have learned to bring hope to those around will grow us up. The writer of Hebrews after calling this group a bunch of babies and telling them to grow up in no uncertain terms speaks encouragement to them. He tells them that yes he has just given them a good what for but that he is confident that they will get back on track and that betters things are ahead as they become faithful and faith-filled grownups.

I know I’m still growing up – so let’s grow up together.

A Prayer
Father – thank for the patience you show your children. Thank you for your faithful teachers and Your amazing Word that tells us like it is and encourages us time again to get up and keep walking by faith, to keep growing up so that we will be fruit producing, mature followers of Jesus who can take the Good News of Jesus into a hurting world and bring it hope, love and freedom. In the name of Jesus, who encourages us to grow up – Amen.