Time to Wean

A newborn baby desires and must have milk, vital for growth and survival. But a growing child needs more than milk to satisfy hunger, and it's amusing to watch them get those first spoonsful of solid food. In the excitement of learning how to take in the food, their anxious tongues push it out as fast as it goes in but trust the feeder to scoop what they need back into their mouths. As they feast on what's good for them, they grow and soon learn to feed themselves.

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of The Word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Pet 2:2). Peter encourages those newly born again from above to lay aside their former dispositions and long for God's nutrition. Hebrew's writer defines this food as "the first principles of the oracles of God" (Heb 5:12). While new babes in Christ are responsible for ingesting needed food, more mature Christians should help feed them. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, healthy, growing believers, having a taste for God's goodness, want and need more than just milk. We should continually seek to learn more of Jesus, our High Priest, and His priestly ministry in our lives—the meatier principles of God's Word. By faithfully hearing, believing, praying, and obedience, we will grow daily in the knowledge of our Lord and have our "senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb 5:14).