Weaned

 

	“But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
	—Psalm 131:2

Tantrums, hot tears, and screams—all the things babies know instinctively that will annoy and exasperate their mothers. These behaviors come as demands for one’s own way, for selfish, even narcissistic challenges to a parent’s authority.

I suppose God has pretty good reason to use the picture of a baby for new believers. Through the Scripture writer, he says to immature Christians in Hebrews 5:12:

“…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!”

This writer wisely exhorts these Christians to move on to maturity.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul urges the Philippians to learn, like he has, to be content in all circumstances. He writes in Philippians 4:12:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Babies “learn” to put off the gratification for milk. They learn to eat other foods, some that likely taste very peculiar to them, but nonetheless fill them with nutrients they need. Sometimes these trials come with spitting and tears, and show the difficulty such a process involves. We do much the same in our own spiritual lives.

At first, Christ allows us the wonder and constant joy of the new life in Him. Later, however, when the tasty milk of our first days gets replaced with waiting for answered prayer, we cry out. When trials we didn’t expect God would allow to affect His “little dear” try our patience and bring more questions than answers, we spit and throw things, and generally show our immaturity in the faith.

Sometimes, we need to take inventory. The verse at the beginning of this blog post from Psalm 131 calls us to examine our growth in Christ.

Do we still throw tantrums, pout and refuse to obey when God brings us through a “weaning process”? Or, have we “learned” to be content, to enjoy knowing that our Heavenly Parent has tasty new ways for us to grow?

God needs us to calm ourselves in His presence and accept His love for us like the grownups we should be!