baby food

baby food

8th February 2009

"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly." 1 Corinthians 3:1-3a

I read this passage today (using the SQD 2020 Bible Reading Plan) and it brought some graphic pictures to my mind. You see, our six-month-old daughter recently started eating solid food. [Really it's a pretty sloppy, runny goop that you'd hardly classify as "solid!"] We are going through the joys of introducing different foods and seeing her reactions. She has a few favourites already as well as a few foods that she outright refuses.

Introducing solid food is an important stage in a baby's life. After six months, there are some nutrients a baby needs that aren't present in milk, so solids are needed. On the other hand, introducing solid food too early can cause problems because the baby's digestive system isn't mature enough. So, you see, there is a "right time" to start solids. [For those of you who don't find yourself in the world of babies, there's a bit of discussion about exactly when the right time is. Current medical views are not to introduce solids before four months but not to leave it much later than six.] There are also some "right foods" to start with. No, Nan, chocolate is not on the menu yet. No, Uncle, neither is ice cream! No Grandpa, she won't be drinking coke.

But I'm not really here to talk about babies, I'm here to talk about baby Christians. It makes sense that baby Christians start off on a milk diet. We need to take special care of our baby Christians. The moment that somebody is saved is not an end in itself. At that time he or she is just a baby Christian, reliant on other Christians for nurture. Salvation is both a moment and an ongoing process. Vital nutrients that a baby Christian needs to grow include reading the Bible, learning to pray, spending time with other Christians and simply hanging out with God. To my mind, these are Christian milk.

Just as a baby needs to add solid food to his or her milk diet, so a Christian needs to introduce solid food ("meat" in the King James version) as they grow from babyhood through toddlerhood, childhood, the teenage years to becoming a mature Christian. Solid food for Christians is part of the discipleship process. Is there a "right time" to introduce solids to the Christian diet? And what constitutes Christian solid food anyway? Things that come to my mind as Christian solids are entering into Christian disciplines such as meditation, fasting, actively applying God's word to our lives, sharing our faith, discipling other Christians, discovering your spiritual gifts and serving through your church in those areas. We don't neglect Christian milk, rather we take it to a deeper level: studying the Bible, fervent prayer, entering into deeper fellowship with other Christians and longing to hang out with God.

It's kind of funny that we take photos of a baby's first mouthful of solid food. We watch the screwed-up-face reaction to having something other than milk go into his or her mouth and we smile. We also watch for the gag reflex (which can make us gag too!) Are we as attentive to our baby Christian friends as they grow in their faith and move along in discipleship?

In closing I pose you two challenges. (1) Where are you in your spiritual maturity? Are you a baby Christian on a milk diet or have you matured to take in solid food? Are you cheating yourself and living like a baby Christian when you should have grown up already? (2) How are you helping disciple your baby Christian friends? Are you attentive to them, watching for signs they are ready for solid food and introducing them to the deeper aspects and disciplines of the faith?

Sandy

Comments

babies meals

March 17, 2010 at 12:40am

Yes, whatever you said is correct, the digestive system of 6 months old infant is not fully grown. If you start baby food earlier, then it creates problem to you and as well as to your baby .

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