Adjusting Your Spiritual Appetite

“You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14

The problem of these believers was not that they couldn’t grow deeper with God; it was that they were content to not grow deeper with God. This is why they were living like spiritual babies, missing out on the spiritual nutrition they so desperately needed.

The writer of Hebrews uses the analogy of milk and solid food to illustrate how you can grow up spiritually. Just as newborns need milk but eventually require solid food to thrive, you need to progress from basic teachings to deeper spiritual truths. Remaining content with spiritual “milk” stunts your growth and even leaves you vulnerable to spiritual warfare.

If you’re willing, you can adjust your spiritual appetite. Here’s how.

1) Increase your intake of God's Word. Make time in your schedule for Scripture reading. Remember, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

2) Read through the Bible methodically, but don’t worry about speed. Focus on understanding and application. It's better to grasp one chapter deeply than to skim through five without comprehension.

3) Seek to practice what you learn. Be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer. Ask God to help you apply the truths you discover to your life.

4) Embrace the meat of the Word rather than the milk of the world. Allow God's deeper truths to shape your thinking and behavior.

As you adjust your spiritual appetite, you'll find yourself growing in maturity, better equipped to handle life's challenges, and more closely aligned with God's purposes for your life.