Babies Are Adorable | AllWorship.com

Babies are adorable …

especially when they do “baby” things.

When babies do “baby” things, most of us smile, feel a rush of love, gushy feelings, and cuteness. Just listen for all the “Ahhhhhhh!” responses. Babies are adorable regardless of whether they have two or four legs, wings, hair, or fur. They are because … they are babies! They are supposed to be cute and evoke emotions of love, compassion, protectiveness, etc.

When a baby is playing with something dangerous, we take it from them because we know it could hurt them. Their response, however, is to whine and cry because they are not yet mature enough to comprehend that they were endangering themselves. We understand this behavior when it comes from a two-year-old. We may even think it is cute because we know that they are just a baby.

When grown people act like babies, however, it is NOT cute, adorable, or even acceptable. Far from it, it can be deplorable, repulsive, even reprehensible in some cases. Toxic immature behavior is unjustifiable because … adults are not babies! We expect better of them. We instinctively know this and do not accept it.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Eph 4:14-15 NIV)

In today’s Scripture passage, Paul speaks of this regarding spiritual things. He says, in so many words, that people are out there acting like immature spiritual babies when they should be growing up into mature followers of Jesus.

Have you ever seen it? Of course you have! The better question is whether or not you recognize it for what it is when it happens. See if any of these examples resonate with you:

Have you heard the excuse, “Well, that’s just how I am.”? This means, “I’m immature and I don’t care to learn to act better.”
Or what about, “I just tell it like it is and if they can’t take it, that’s too bad.” This excuse typically means, “I don’t care about anyone’s feelings but my own.”
Have you ever seen a baby use “fake crying” to get what it wants? Babies manipulate parents in this way … and it works. It happens at home and in public. Some parents will give the child whatever it wants just to stop the noise and “waterworks.”

This is unacceptable even for a baby, yet adults use their own version of this tactic to get their way. There are more, but you can see that these attitudes and behaviors are very babyish and immature. I used these examples to make a point: The same scenario applies in spiritual things. There are many (far too many, IMHO) twenty, thirty, and forty-year-old (in spiritual years) Believers acting like spiritual infants. These are the ones of whom Paul spoke.

You see them arguing about Scripture, controlling or manipulating others, using God to justify their bad behavior, or convincing (deceiving) themselves that they are justified to act this way. They cry, act hurt, pout, complain, gossip, or worse. Babies, they are, all of them.

It is far past time for them to grow up and take accountability for their actions and begin acting like who God created them to be. Stop whining and start fighting the good fight (1 Tim 6:12). If we do this, we will have no time for foolish (babyish) behavior.

I have a friend in Israel who is helping his former IDF unit. He posted on his discussion this quote: “Sit with Warriors. The conversation is very different.” This is the conversation I want. This is how it should be with all of us (Believers). Warriors are not babies. Warriors are mature, trained, experienced, know their enemy, and are ready to do what they must to achieve victory.

I make it my intention to be this, to be mature, and to be ready to fulfill whatever God has for me to do. While I do not claim to be the epitome of spiritual maturity, I know that I am more mature in Jesus than I have been in the past, and I intend to become more mature tomorrow than I am today.

I hope you will make it your intention to be so too, that we all, together, will “… grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Let’s have that Warrior conversation, OK?