The Christian life-cycle is like the human life-cycle. When we are infants we need to have our food fed to us, we need our diapers changed and we can't do much of anything for ourselves; except fill our diapers and cry. We are continually learning. In the Christian life, baby Christians don't know much, other than that they're seeking to follow Christ. They need to be "fed" and be learning continually.
As we move through childhood we can handle more types of food, feed ourselves the food that is prepared for us, and we continue to learn and do more and more things for ourselves. In Christian adolescence we begin to learn to do things as we follow Christ. We can serve people and evangelize, but have much to learn of God's Word, how to study it and hear His voice.
As we move through life we learn to do more and more for ourselves as we continue to be taught. At some point in our lives (though we never stop learning) we reach a tipping point where we cease being professional learners and we start doing what we've learned. We no longer need to be taken care of. We get a job and move out of our parents' house. We start to fend for ourselves and take care of others. We eventually become the teacher, then leader and eventually an elder statesman. The Christian life is the same. We should become self-sufficient in our faith; able to feed and fend for ourselves. Know the Word and how to study it for ourselves. Know how to hear Him speaking to us and rely on Him to do so. We continue to learn and live life with others, always helping one another, but we become able to provide for others like a father provides for his wife and family; teaching his children and guiding his household.
You may be a 55 year old man getting to know Jesus for the first time, and if that's you, you NEED to be fed. Be discipled. Learn to study the Word for yourself. However, if you've been a "follower of Christ" for many years or decades, I hope you are not relying on your pastor and local church to feed you.
It bothers me that we, as "mature Christians" will leave our church or complain about our pastors because we're "not being fed." FEED YOURSELF! Serve the church, don't drain it! The church is not a restaurant, it's a fitness center. You don't go there to get fed, you go there to PARTICIPATE! Disciple others. Serve. Study and apply the scripture! Follow Jesus! I'll admit to you right now that I need to get better at studying (not just reading) the Word and I want to do a better job of hearing His voice. I commit to you today to seek Him and follow through on this so I can be a better disciple-maker and be transformed daily into the likeness of Christ. Will you?
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