This past weekend we were visiting our daughter, son-in-law, and newest grandson. The baby is two months old. He’s trying to move but doesn’t have the coordination to go anywhere. His arms wave, his legs bunch up, but he’s still on his stomach, head lifted, and an expression that looks like utter frustration.

I’ve always thought it’s good that babies have no memory of these early months and years of life because the difficulty of learning all the motor skills and speech skills might be depressing if they remembered. Their lack of agility might seem like they are tied down with no way to get free, as if their lack of knowledge and understanding keep them immobilized.

I am reminded of my early days as a Christian. My only knowledge of the Bible were some Bible stories I heard as a child, and many of those memories weren’t all that accurate. I didn’t know scripture or what God wanted me to do. I had the desire to tell people about my new-found beliefs but was often immobilized by my ignorance of the Christian faith.

It took time for me to study God’s word and to learn enough to feel a modicum of comfort when I tried to tell people why I believed in Jesus. I had to start with baby steps, with memorization and reading, and then I graduated to greater understanding as I read commentaries and did deeper studies.

Imagine that little baby giving up as they try to move across the floor without the coordination to make their arms and legs move properly. They never learn to sit up or crawl. They can’t feed themselves, walk, or even talk because it’s just too hard to learn.

This is not the way babies are. They struggle, and in that struggle, they grow and develop. They learn to crawl, then walk, run, and jump. They don’t give up but persevere in order to learn what they need to be the person they are supposed to be.

The same goes in our Christian walk. Sometimes it’s a struggle to understand God’s will for our lives or to plumb the depths of the Bible and share with others. It’s easier to sit in a pew once a week and let the Pastor talk about the scripture and call that good enough. However, that does little good if we don’t exercise our ability to grow in grace and knowledge by working to deepen our faith. If we only listen to a Pastor we are stunted Christians with no real depth or understanding.

Daily Bible study, prayer time, interaction with fellow Christians, and ministering to non-Christians are all part of growing from babies in Christ to become seasoned Christians. It isn’t easy, but it is necessary. 

Just like that little baby works to learn small motor skills and then goes on to develop more skills, we must start small but persist in our Christian growth. There is always something to learn, whether as a person or as a Christian. Embrace the effort and continue on. Press on every day to grow in knowledge and understanding. Become a seasoned Christian.

“…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…” 2 Peter 2:2 (ESV)

“…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)