As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. If so, be y have tasted that the Lord is gracious – 1st Peter 2:3- 3.

Growing up is a process; no one is born fully grown. Everyone comes into the world as an infant and progresses through different developmental stages until he or she reaches adulthood.

The same is true when one becomes born again. It doesn’t matter how old you are physically. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a spiritual babe in Christ, and you must learn to grow in the things of God. No one should stay a spiritual babe. If so, just like in the natural, when one continues to stay a baby, there is dysfunction.

There are three stages of spiritual development that correspond to physical development: babyhood, childhood, and manhood. Even though a person can be a born-again Christian for many years, they can still be in the babyhood or childhood stages of development in certain areas of life.

Newborn babies require a lot of work; they don’t do much except eat and sleep. You have to do everything for them: dress them, feed them, change their diapers, bathe them. They can’t eat solid food; they can only digest their mother’s milk or baby formula. In the same way, you can’t expect young Christians to do things for themselves; we need to follow up with them after they first come to the church and encourage them to return to the church or stay connected to another good ministry.

This is babyhood; they don’t know much about God or the Bible, so we must spend time teaching and counseling them. Many don’t have confidence in their prayers, so they repeatedly ask anyone they see to pray about the same thing. There comes a time that all babies have to be weaned from their mother’s milk, if not they will never grow into the childhood stage.

Mature Christians should encourage the baby Christian to grow and mature; don’t continue to baby them because you will be hindering their spiritual growth. Encourage them to have faith in their prayers, encourage them to fast, and encourage them to read and study their Bible. Christians should group up enough so they don’t always need someone to visit them, pump them up, and pray for them; they should grow to help the next baby Christian or someone else who needs spiritual counseling.

In the childhood stage of Christianity, they have not learned the value of silence; they talk too much. People who talk all the time are usually guilty of at least three sins: Evil speaking, vain speaking, and foolish speaking. Evil speaking is discussing the faults of people who are not present. Vain speaking is always talking about oneself and what he or she has done. Where they have been and what they are about to do. Foolish speaking is constantly jesting and joking about unprofitable things. The Bible says that jesting and joking are not “convenient” (Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving thanks – Ephesians 5:4).

In the manhood state of Christianity, the characteristic of spiritual maturity or manhood is esteeming earthly things lightly, in other words, placing God first in every area of their lives. Moses is an example of someone who esteemed earthly things lightly (By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season – Hebrews 11:24-25). Moses could have had all the riches of Egypt; instead, he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God.

Another characteristic of a mature Christian is that he or she is God-conscious and seeks after the kingdom of God. Baby Christians are self-conscious and materialistic-minded. Remember that we can be mature in one area, but a baby can be mature in another. None has “arrived”; there is always room for spiritual growth. How do we grow spiritually? Just as a child grows by what they eat, you grow spiritually by what you are eating spiritually. If you never look at Christian programs and spiritual books, read and study the Word of God, and attend church, you will continue to be a baby Christian, and you will not survive.

Every Christian has received the same New Birth, the same measure of faith, the same measure of grace, and the same love of God. It’s up to each of us to develop what we have been given. Submit to the Word of God so that you will live according to the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance). As we mature, we can be a blessing to the body of Christ.

God expects us to grow spiritually. He has given us what we need, and it’s left to us to apply it. There will be no excuses when we stand before Him. We grow to disciple others, building God’s kingdom with His children. Are you drawing people by your lifestyle, or are you confusing them with religion?