The circles of life
I remember when I was a kid, seeing my mom hand feed my sister. I realize that she did the same with me as well. After a while I began to take the spoon and feed myself. At first it was a little messy (missed my mouth most of the time). As time and experience went on, I became more proficient and landed the spoonfuls more often than I missed. As a kid, my mom cooked for me, but I truly did feed myself clear through high school and on. Then I grew up and moved out and learned to cook for myself and feed myself. Then came marriage and children and Lori and I went through the same process with our kids. We hand fed them, they learned to use the spoon and soon began to feed themselves and even eventually moved out and learned to cook and feed themselves. Now with a grand daughter, my daughter is repeating the same circle of life again. It’s kind of amazing to see it happen.
I become alarmed when I hear Christian people use the phrase, “I’m not getting fed” or, “I left that church because they weren’t feeding me.” I think to myself, did you ever take up a spoon on your own?
God expects you and me to grow up to a place where we are feeding ourselves, taking in our own nourishment. Maybe at first we miss our mouth, but we will become more proficient as we exercise it. Yes, for a time someone else will cook for us and present before us the meal. But, in time, He expects us to cook for ourselves and even to come to the place where we are cooking and feeding others, babies.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (BBE) - And though by this time it would be right for you to be teachers, you still have need of someone to give you teaching about the first simple rules of God’s revelation; you have become like babies who have need of milk, and not of solid food. For everyone who takes milk is without experience of the word of righteousness: he is a child. But solid food is for men of full growth, even for those whose senses are trained by use to see what is good and what is evil.
We have a circle of life even in the church that parallels that in nature. God’s plan is that we will come to the place where we are feeding others. We may not cook the meal, but we will do our part in helping to prepare and serve it. We may set up chairs, or run copies (helps and service). We may compel others to come in to discover their need to be fed (evangelism). We may serve up the banquet before them (prophecy, teacher or encourager). But we grow up to become a server instead of a needer.