Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Our son has started to eat solid food (mushed up solid food), so we’ve started to wean him off breast milk. It’s been a struggle for him as he trying to adapt a new routine while shaking off his old ways. But it’s a change that he must do because breast milk can no longer sustain all his nutritional requirements.
Going through this process, I’ve been reminded about what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 about milk and solid food.
What is milk?
Milk is the elementary truths about Jesus such as Him dying on the cross and resurrecting to pay for our sins, that we repent and believe that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, and that Jesus is coming back to take us home. It’s basically the gospel message we share to nonbelievers. This milk is necessary as it is the first building blocks for your new life with Jesus.
What is solid food?
For believers, it is crucial to have solid food. Solid food are the deeper truths about Jesus and the promises God has given believers. They enable believers to walk closer with God and for the Holy Spirit to work in them more effectively.
For example, let’s say someone asks you to pray for them about a situation and you don’t know how to pray for it. No problem. Romans 8:26-27 says that the Holy Spirit will help us pray and will intercede on our behalf. So just pray for the person and have faith that God will answer your prayer and do what’s best for them.
Why solid food?
By knowing these deeper truths and promises, you grow more intimate with God and your heart changes to be more like the heart of God. When your heart is in line with God’s, whatever you pray for, it will be given to you as that is what God desires to happen as well. (John 15:7-8) This is another spiritual truth.
How can I eat solid food?
The best place to eat solid food is to read the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Before you read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand it (John 16:13-14). Then when you understand a truth, apply it to your life.
The next best place would be your local church. Through worshiping God together, sharing your faith with each other, supporting one another, and teaching one another, you will see the many ways God works in people’s life and know Him more.
Media such as Christian books and music can also be a source of God’s truth. On this website, there is an Inspirational Songs section where I post songs that are stuck in my head at the moment and giving me insight to God’s truth and promises.
How do I know the solid food is not tainted?
Please be very wary of where the source of the solid food is coming from as it may be tainted with lies. There are people out there who are false teachers and their goal is to deceive you and drag you away from the Lord (2 Peter 2:1-3). Other times, it may just be that the person misunderstands a truth about God or the promises He gives us. We are all human, after all, and are on our own personal adventure with the Lord.
When reading the Bible, it is good to read a passage in several translations. to cross reference and also get a clearer understanding of the passage. My main translation is NIV (New International Version), but I cross reference with ESV (English Standard Version), NLT (New Living Translation), KJV (King James Version), and AMP (Amplified Bible) all the time. Cross referencing also helps you meditate on the passage.
When visiting a church, always pray and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. Just because it’s a church doesn’t mean the truth is preached there. Always bring your Bible and cross reference everything the pastor is saying. The Holy Spirit will help you discern what is truth and what is not true.
When reading a Christian book or listening to Christian music, again, cross reference with the Bible. There may be lines in the book or song that sound nice, but are not true. Try to find the biblical passages the book or song are based upon and see if everything lines up.
The Holy Spirit and the Bible will help you discern whether the solid food is good or not. The more good solid food you eat, the easier it’ll be for you to tell the tainted solid food.
Keep on eating solid food
The more solid food you eat, the more you’ll grow in Christ. The more you grow in Christ, the more you will live for Christ. The more you live for Christ, the more praise, honor, and glory go to Christ.
Keep on adventuring with the Lord!
