WHO'S FEEDING THE BABY?

Written August 05, 2008

Last week as I was praying. . .actually complaining, to God about my husband, "God, why doesn't he get this? Why doesn't he grow any faster in his walk with You? Why does he keep tripping up?" Yeah, I was griping! God spoke so clearly to me 2 questions that shook me to the core and had me in tears apologizing to God and my husband!! He said, "Andi, can a newborn babe feed itself? And if you stand a baby on it's feet to walk without teaching it how, and walk away, can you really be disappointed and look down on it for falling?" Two simple questions. With even simpler answers. 2 questions that have opened the door to a deeper study and an eye opening revelation of the state of the church!

WHAT HAPPENED TO TRUE DISCIPLESHIP? I remember when I first started in my walk with the Lord. There were so many people ready and willing to take the time to talk and study WITH me and feed me and eventually teach me how to feed myself the Word of God! Getting together was an almost daily thing. And definitely when I had a question or needed prayer, they were right there! It was prevalent in the church. People were excited about caring for and nurturing the "newborns". And the newborns eventually learned to hold their own bottle and feed themselves, and then they moved on to finger foods and well, you get the idea!

But as you look at a newborn baby, in all reality that baby is completely dependant on it's caregivers for everything! What happens to a newborn if you set a bottle down in front of it and say "Here ya go! Drink it!" and walk away? That baby has NO IDEA what to do with that bottle! Nor does it have the ability to even pick it up and try! Eventually that milk is going to spoil and that baby is going to starve! It is much the same when we throw a Bible or a study outline at a newborn Christian and say, "Here, study this!" WHAT? HOW?

For some reason we all think we are way too important and way to busy to sit down and hold the bottle in the baby's mouth! I remember when my children were infants. I made the decision to breastfeed all of them, and when they were hungry, it did not matter what I was doing at the time, or how "important" I thought it was, I had to STOP what I was doing and sit down with my baby and provide the nourishment it needed to grow. I may have been frustrated at first, especially if what I was doing, I thought was really important. But the second I sat down and began feeding them and looking into their eyes I knew my PRIMARY responsibility was to feed that baby, and I WANTED to!

If we don't feed the babies two major things happen. First they do not get the vital nutrients they need to grow and they get malnourished and sick and eventually die! Secondly, they lose a taste for the food, they lose their hunger!! Have you ever gone a long time without eating? I have. I was anorexic a few years ago, and after a few days I wasn't even hungry any more, and the smell and taste of food did not appeal to me at all. When we fail to properly and TIMELY feed the newborns, they will lose their taste for the food!! And then we stand back and wonder why they are not eating, why they are not looking for the food? Why they are not hungry? SERIOUSLY??

I believe God wants us to stand back and take a good long look at what we are REALLY doing to nurture the newborns and assure their success and growth in the Kingdom! Let's be honest, we are DROPPING THE BALL folks, and then we wonder why people are falling, and falling away!! IT IS OUR FAULT! Let's stop being so busy being BUSY and take care of the babies!! What you are doing is not THAT important!! NOT more important than feeding the babies!! NO ONE gives birth and walks away and expects that baby to survive!

Come on Church!! Thier survival depends on US! ALL OF US!!