For this reason also since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worth of the LORD, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.  Colossians 1:9-10 HCSB

Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians to deal with some heresies that were circulating among the churches. We must remember that these were new churches formed after Christ’s ascension into heaven. We know that when we accept Christ as our Savior, the devil attacks. He did the same to these new churches. Paul is praying for their spiritual growth in our Scripture passage today.

I spent 22 years asking offenders and their parents if the offender had reached chronological milestones at appropriate ages. Had I been given a dollar each time I used that term, I could have retired much earlier.

We expect human beings to reach chronological milestones at appropriate ages. If our children do not walk and talk at appropriate ages, we look for answers. We take them for testing. We want to know what is wrong.

Christians are also meant to reach certain chronological milestones in their Christianity. Spiritual growth is necessary in our walk with the Lord. It is necessary for us to produce fruit and do good works.

If a child is 3 years old and has shown no interest in attempting to walk, we want to know what’s wrong. If a child is four and is not speaking, we want to know what’s wrong. We run tests and we want answers. But, when a Christian fails to grow, we often don’t notice or don’t care.

How many times have you witnessed someone being baptized and then noticed that they just quit going to church? Have you noticed someone coming and interested in what is being studied, but then fall away? Have you seen someone make a public profession of faith and start working for the Lord and then noticed that they stopped? These are all indicators that something is wrong.

Our Christian lives begin with a spiritual rebirth. We are born again. We admit that we are sinners, we believe in Jesus Christ and we commit to Him and confess Him as our Lord and Savior. At this stage we are baby Christians.

We wouldn’t expect a newborn to feed himself, or change himself or bathe or clothe himself. So, why do we leave baby Christians alone to fend for themselves? We get so caught up in the excitement when someone makes a public profession of faith and gets baptized. We encourage them, we praise them, we buy them gifts and then we turn them loose. We go on about their lives and wish them well.

A newborn left in a crib will die if no one feeds it and gives it the proper care and nourishment. A baby Christian will fail to grow and will backslide if fellow church members aren’t there for support. We need to be mindful that the devil will come against them with all he has when they make this public profession of faith. Don’t leave them to suffer this all alone. He will throw things at them like alcohol, drugs, and sexual sin. They may lose friends because of their faith. We need to be sure that they have new friends that are there to see that they are nourished and growing.

As Christians, we must reach chronological milestones. Hebrews 5:12-14 says that those who live on milk need someone to teach them the basic oracles of God for they are unskilled in the word of righteousness because they are children. It says that solid food of for the mature, for those who have the powers of discernment trained by constant practice do distinguish evil from good.

As Christians, we begin as babies, born into our salvation. We must grow into our walk with Christ. As we grow, we develop a deeper relationship with Him. We grow in our faith through Bible study and prayer. We come through the hard times and they make us stronger. They teach us to trust in Him more and more. And finally, we are in a position to mentor baby Christians as they begin their new life in Christ.

If you or someone you know has had their growth stunted by the devil and is unable to reach the necessary chronological milestones, it’s not hopeless. Turn to God today. Ask Him to help remove any sin that hinders your growth. Rededicate yourself to Him and trust in Him. He will help you to grow and thrive. He wants you to live life more abundantly (John 10:10).

And, if you are a Christian that has let baby Christians fall into the devil’s hands, shame on you. Be more mindful of those new Christians in your church. Come alongside them and help them to grow.

Have a great day!