1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? ~ 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Many believe the longer you are in Christ, the more of an elder you are, but according to the Scripture, that isn’t what makes you an elder. As humans, it’s easy for our minds to think in an earthly manner, which is why Paul tells us he speaks to us in certain ways. For instance, we think of an elder in a physical sense. You are older in age. Therefore, you are wiser. The problem is that we don’t take into account the spiritual growth of the person in question. It’s not about the amount of years we’ve served Christ but about the amount we’ve grown spiritually in Christ.
Moses wasn’t the oldest Hebrew man alive; that’s not why God chose him to lead. Jacob was not the eldest brother, nor was Abraham. It has never been about physical age with God. God used young children to declare who Christ was upon the earth in the temple. It has always been and always will be about personal relationships and spiritual growth with God.
When we go just based on the physical, we give an opportunity to spiritual slumber to sneak in and sweep us away. We stop listening and growing because we feel we know it all. We stop seeking and searching for a closer relationship with God because we’ve had one with Him for so long. God isn’t interested in the length of time spent with Him but in what you do in that time. Peter wasn’t the first disciple Jesus called, yet He was a part of His inner circle and arguably His best friend. Paul was never a disciple of Jesus, yet it was Him Jesus to be the greatest apostle who ever lived. It wasn’t because these men were old in age but because they sought the Truth.
The truth of the matter is age, in this case, is just a number. The real elder in Christ is one who has the attributes and characteristics of Christ; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Not those easily angered or filled with envy. Test your spiritual age by seeking God for true wisdom and asking Him to open your eyes to any ungodliness within you. When you do, your eyes will begin to awaken, and you will soon no longer need milk.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Solid Food.
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