2 Corinthians 5: 17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come! All this from GOD, who reconciled us to HIMSELF through CHRIST… . [New International translation]
1 Corinthians 13:11 It’s like this: when I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I became a man [a woman] my thoughts grew far beyond those of my childhood, and now I have put away the childish things. [Living Bible translation]
BEING A CHRISTIAN AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
It is easy to confuse being a Christian and spiritual growth.
To be a Christian is to experience an instant, miraculous conversion. The moment one expresses belief and faith in CHRIST, he or she becomes a member of the body of CHRIST. It is a new birth. (See, Romans 10:9)
Spiritual growth involves growing in GOD’s GRACE (i.e., the free and unmerited FAVOR OF GOD) and in the knowledge of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. (See 2 Peter 3:18).
There are verses in the Bible about being a “baby Christian” as well about growing into greater Christian maturity for the benefit of the body of CHRIST. See for example:
1Peter2:2: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
Ephesians 4:1-16 But GRACE was given to each of us according to the measure of CHRIST’s gift…to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of CHRIST, until we all attain to the unity of the faith….so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into HIM, who is the head, into CHRIST.
Spiritual growth is not the same as physical growth. It does not just occur “automatically” over time. But, just as one can look back at over a human life and see the difference between babyhood, childhood, teen years, young adult years, older adult years, senior years, etc. one should also “recognize” or “distinguish” when we were a “newborn spiritual baby Christian” and when we became a “growing in GRACE body building Christian.” There ought to be a difference spiritually between then and now.
WHAT IS WAS LIKE THEN
If you are like me, you probably recall drinking a lot of soda as a kid. In fact, soda, especially in the summer time, was a common household beverage. Every member of the household had their favorite soda. You may have memories of going to the neighborhood store to buy a soda (or of taking the empties back for their deposit, if you are a bit older), or stopping by the store after school to get a soda, or loading down the grocery cart with the weekly “six pack” or ‘case” or “carton.” Soda/pop really was “the stuff” of most of our childhood. Back then, no one gave much thought to the nutritional value of drinking soda. We just drank it.
WHAT WE KNOW NOW ABOUT SOFT DRINKS
In “Soft Drink Dangers: 8 Ways Soda Negatively Affects Your Health,” Samantha Olson, states that soda is one of the most consumed drinks in the United States. She notes that many Americans consume approximately 57 gallons of soda per year. She describes what happens inside the body when a person takes a few sips of soda:
As soon as soda’s swallowed, the pancreas is notified and rapidly begins to create insulin in response to the sugar. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to move sugar from food or drink into the bloodstream, where cells are then able to use sugar for energy. Within just 20 minutes, blood sugar levels spike and the liver responds to the insulin by turning sugar into fat for storage.
Within 45 minutes of gulping down a single 20-ounce glass of soda, caffeine from the drink is fully absorbed, and as a result your pupils dilate and blood pressure rises. The body produces more dopamine, which stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain — just like a low-grade line of cocaine.
When the hour chimes, the body begins to experience a blood sugar crash, which is around the same time a person reaches for their second soda, or for another sweet and sugar snack to suffice.
See, In “Soft Drink Dangers: 8 Ways Soda Negatively Affects Your Health,” Samantha Olson,
January 22, 2015, www.medicaldaily.com.
Some of the health problems associated with soft drink consumption are depicted in the following diagram:
Id.
Now for the good news----according to Mike Esterl in “Soft Drink Hits 10th Year of Decline: Diet soda volume falls sharply, water gains,” Americans are drinking more water. Bottled-water consumption totaled 10.87 billion gallons in 2014, up 7.3% from 2013, its fastest growth since 2006. Much of the upswing in water consumption is because of health-conscious Americans. If this trend continues, by 2017 the amount of bottled water consumed could surpass soda. See, “Soft Drink Hits 10th Year of Decline: Diet soda volume falls sharply, water gains,” by Mike Esterl, March 26, 2015, Wall Street Journal, www.wsj.com.
Pray For Healthy Physical and Spiritual Growth
Today, let us all pray and ask GOD to help us make healthy physical and spiritual decisions.
Let us pray and ask GOD to help us “put away childish things!” Help us not to remain “babies.” Help us to do what is best for our personal bodies and the body of CHRIST.
Eat, pray, grow in Grace now and BE BLESSED!
