Clean House and Dig Deep

So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God. 1 Peter 2:1-3 MSG

Peter is addressing new Christians and encouraging them to leave the ways of their sinful past, since now they know God through Jesus, and can get all the nourishment they need to grow into maturity with God.

I love theses verses, especially verse three that says we grow and can become mature (whole) in God!  This has been my experience with God over the years. I find it ironic that my physical age has nothing to do with my spiritual age. Physically, I mature whether I want to or not. This fall I will have been here 81 years physically and 74 years spiritually. My spiritual growth depends on when I entered the family of believers, how much milk I consumed before I began to choose solid food with a conscious desire to grow in Him. And as with any growth, there can be spurts and plateaus, healthy and unhealthy times. It all depends on my choices. Sometimes the meat of the Word is hard to digest and Jesus walks with me as I continue to chew. Other times, I feast on the dessert of an extra serving of understanding that is easy to swallow!  It’s difficult to judge spiritual growth and maturity. In some areas I feel like a wise old lady and in others I feel like a child who needs more food to conquer the world!  Sometimes I feel like a teen who isn’t quite sure what to believe, and then those rare moments where I become a cry-baby. Thankfully, I have a Father who pushes me forward, walks with me until I process truth, and even corrects the cry-baby in me. I am never alone on this spiritual journey to wholeness and maturity. God gives me opportunity each day to grow and allows situations through which I can grow, but the choice is always mine. The question today is what kind of spiritual food do I desire – meat that must be chewed before it can be digested or soft baby food that takes little effort to swallow?

Father, thank You for the variety of food you have offered through the years that has helped me continue to grow into wholeness and maturity. Where I am right now, only You know, but I know I want meat, not pureed beets and applesauce. I love the times when you provide a surprise dessert and I leave the table more than satisfied. I also thank You for the tough steak that is hard to chew and takes time to digest but helps build strong spiritual muscles!  Your Living Word provides all the food I need to grow and mature and complete Your plan for my life. Thank You for Your daily manna!