What does growth look like to you? I think about plants becoming mighty trees, I think about tadpoles becoming frogs, I think about my savings in the bank doubling and tripling, I think about my born baby boy becoming a full grown man.
Babies, of course, rely on milk in the first 6 months of their lives. Now suppose even after six months, all I feed my son is just milk. What will happen to him? He will experience poor growth, delayed brain development, weakened immune function. The only way for my baby boy to grow is if I swap the milk with solids at the right time.
The Christian life is like that too, one characterised by proper growth. And that's what the author is getting at in Hebrews 5:12 - 6:1.
“... though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. …Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.”
I don’t know about you but when I first read these verses, I asked myself: Isn’t it good to rest on the elementary teachings of God’s Word? Isn't it good to keep reminding ourselves of the Gospel? Well, of course it is. But the writer isn't asking us to abandon the foundation. Not at all.
What he’s telling us is not to stop there, but go on to build upon it. If all that we do is just rest on the basics, then we too will experience poor growth, delayed spiritual development, and weakened defenses. We need to move beyond the basics toward maturity.
What is this maturity? In the original Greek, it means completeness or wholeness. That can sound overwhelming, but here's the good news. Maturity isn't something we suddenly arrive at. It is a journey. Step by step. Every act of obedience builds on the last and prepares us for the next. It is ongoing. And it never stops until we see God face to face.
Even better, we are not growing alone. Paul says in Philippians 1:6 "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Isn't that encouraging? God doesn't just call us to grow - He helps us grow to completion and wholeness until the day of Christ Jesus. God himself is involved in our growth. That has to excite us. We are not doing this alone. Our Father is walking with us.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed or discouraged in your journey, just know that with the Lord of the Universe involved, it is worth your all.