1 Corinthians 3: Milk for the infants

Verse 2: I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.

◇ These days, my 6-year-old son has discovered the taste of soda. The sweet taste and the fizzy carbonation of soda make it a perfect beverage to accompany greasy food. I didn't give him carbonated drinks to protect his teeth, which still have baby teeth, but after letting him taste it a few times, he keeps asking for more. What should I do? Should I just let him have it since he will eventually drink it when he grows up anyway? There might be differences among parents.

Among the saints, there are those with faith like a child and those with faith like an adult. I already knew that the maturity of faith is not proportional to the years of living a faithful life, but these days I realize it even more acutely. Also, the maturity of faith is not proportional to biblical knowledge, nor is it proportional to the amount of various service activities in the church.

Therefore, church leaders must be alert and awake to examine the saints. They must accurately understand the faith maturity of the saints in order to feed them with appropriate spiritual nourishment and help them grow. And they can entrust them with tasks that match their maturity and bear fruit. If they feed them incorrectly and assign tasks improperly, they may face a great failure.

That's why Paul says he fed the Corinthians with milk, not solid food. It's because they couldn't handle it. Church leaders, like Paul, must accurately know the condition of the saints and nurture them accordingly.

♧ Lord, have mercy on the insufficient and make them wise! Help us to see the saints correctly, feed them with the right nourishment, and entrust them with tasks they can handle! Holy Spirit, lead us in truth!