“You're Older. You Should Know Better.”

"For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."---Hebrews 5:13-14 (NKJV)




"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life."---Muhammad Ali




"Immature love says, 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says, 'I need you because I love you.'"---Erich Fromm







Here's a pre-weekend quickie.




More often than I would care to admit, I find myself throwing a fit with God; not about our relationship, but about the one I have with one of his other kids.




"God, why do you let her talk to me/about me that way?"




"God, why is he so selfish and manipulative?"




"God, why does it seem like no matter what they do, you are always coming to me to fix it?"




Just this morning, while talking a friend of mine about something similar that she's currently experiencing, the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:12) brought to my remembrance what God's response usually would be to such questions:




You are older...you are more mature, you should know better.




Ain't that what you remember your mama saying to you when your lil' brother or sister was pulling your hair, in your room, hitting you while you were trying to watch TV...in peace? That because you were the older sibling, you should be mature enough to know how to better handle the situation. You don't expect a 4-year-old to rationalize in the way that a 12-year-old would, do you?




Hmm...I wonder why we don't think this way (more often) when it comes to the different ages and stages of Christians. When Paul was dealing with the Church of Corinth, there was something he said that I think all Christians should keep in mind when it comes to dealing with people...especially babes/toddlers/younger-than-you siblings in Christ:




"Brothers and sisters, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to people without the Spirit-babies in Christ. The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food, because you were not able to take solid food. And even now you are not ready. You are still not spiritual, because there is jealousy and quarreling among you, and this shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world."---I Corinthians 3:1-3 (NCV)




The Word of God is so thorough, isn't it? Not only does it speak on having a different level of patience, tolerance and understanding with believers who are "on the milk", but it explains who those "milk babes" are. It doesn't say that spiritual people are those who have been in church all of their lives or even have a seat on some ministry board. It says that you can tell a non-spiritual person by looking at those who are jealous and quarrelsome.




A few months ago, God brought me to a new level of understanding when it comes to Hebrews 5:12 (NKJV):




"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food."




Before even the Ten Commandments, there were principles set in place: To have dominion over the Earth and procreate (Genesis 1:27-28); to honor the Seventh-Day Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3), and to, in marriage, LEAVE AND CLEAVE and be naked and not ashamed (Genesis 2:24-25). It was a huge light bulb moment for me to realize that even now, some of us are seen, by God, as babes, because according to the scriptures, many of us don't even have these three things down. It doesn't matter if man has promoted you...the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, right? And, according to I Corinthians 3:19, God catches ALL OF US in our craftiness---in how we have deceived ourselves into thinking that we don't have to do ALL that he says. A spiritually mature person knows it's not about what they think or what everyone else is doing. It's about following the rules, period...and you know what the rule book is. (2 Timothy 3:16, Matthew 7:13)




So, who's "pulling your hair", in "your room" (without permission), "hitting you" while you're trying to get a moment of peace in? Before complaining to your Father (Philippians 2:14), first take a moment to think about where you are as a Christian. Are you the 4-year-old or the 12-year-old? If you consider yourself to be more mature---and it will be evident in the fruit that you display (Matthew 12:33, Galatians 5:22-23)---then when it comes to a lot of what the "kiddies" are doing, you should be able to maturely and effectively handle the matter on your own, without complaining/whining/fault-finding...that's what spiritual maturity is all about.




It's a hard pill to swallow that people often do what they do because they don't know any better, and that stooping to their level doesn't teach them anything different. If you want to see good fruit, you have to plant good seeds. Yeah, it's hard dealing with the immature, but one side of the coin is that someone had/has to deal with you (we're usually on different levels at different times), so a little understanding couldn't hurt. The flip is that no matter what, at the end of the day, there's really nothing to worry about or exasperate yourself over. Your "Daddy" will step in when it becomes too much for you to bear; when you need an even more mature perspective brought to the situation. (James 1:5)




In the meantime, you're a big boy---or girl. Suck it up and deal with it. You don't have all of that time, experience and expertise up on them for nothing. (Or at least, I hope you don't!)




God's not ignoring you. He's holding you accountable to what you know.




You're older. You should know better.




©Shellie R. Warren/2008