January 1st, 2023.
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”-1 Peter 2:2
None of us wakes up in the morning thinking, “I’m going to lead like a baby today.” Instead,we’re grown men who often try to lean into our strength, experiences, and intelligence as welead in the workplace and at home. Culture tells us we can do everything we need to on ourown. The Bible tells us something different… that we should live life and lead like babies.
Babies are hungry… and we should be as well.
When the verse above says babies crave spiritual milk, it’s because they are hungry. They needmilk to grow, so they have an appetite for it. In the same way, as growing Christian men, we need to have an appetite for God’s word. Here’s where we are different from the babies, though.The baby naturally craves milk. As busy leaders, it can be easy for us to crave things other than God’s Word and ignore it. In those instances where we’re not hungry for God’s Word, we need to drink it anyway. Over time, God will increase our appetite for it and remind us of our dependence on it, which leads us to our second insight for the day…
Babies are dependent… and we should be as well.
Babies need their mothers and fathers to meet their basic needs–feeding, changing, and living them. They don’t choose to be dependent; they just are. They can’t take care of themselves on their own, so they look to their parents for everything. In the same way, we should look to God to meet all our needs. That’s where the challenge comes in for men. We believe, incorrectly,that we can meet our needs on our own. We’re tempted every day to be self-sufficient, surviving by our strength. That’s where the baby has an advantage over us. Infants never entertain the thought that they can survive on their own. Just like those babies, we should never entertain that thought, either. We need God, who provides everything we need according to His richesand glory–not ours. This leads us to the third insight…
Babies make their needs known… and we should as well.
When a baby needs something, they ask. They cry, fuss, and scream when they are hungry, sick, or need a diaper change. Yet, too often, as men, we hesitate to bring our needs to the Father. Again, we try to control everything and make things happen independently. By not bringing our needs and challenges to God in prayer, we take away His opportunity to feed us and care for us.
Leading Well…
Here’s the reality, men. We need God. Just like that baby needs their milk, we need to get fed by God. We need to be hungry, dependent, and willing to ask. We need to drop our pride, set aside our egos, and let God in. Where we end, He can begin.
Iron Sharpens Iron
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