There are many babes in Christ that are weak in the faith. When a person has been converted to the faith they are likened to a new born baby that has just been born, and at that point they can be very fragile in their way of thinking and their conception of the Word, in other words the way they understand the Word. Every believer has got to come to grips with this truth; even if a person is an adult when they are reborn, it is like they are babes as far as scripture and spiritual things are concerned. Until they start renewing their minds they can easily be deceived by false teaching. It is important to get them grounded right away because there are many cults around that will gladly take them in and deceive them with their lies and false gospel.
Because of this sometimes just being overzealous can be a stumbling block, even with all good intentions. Sometimes in our zealousness we push too hard trying to get these weak believers to mature before they are ready. Think of a flower garden, if you fertilize and water it too often you can stunt the growth of the plants and if you continue you may even kill the plant altogether. This is where patience and endurance are very important with both the garden and the weak Christians, or babes in Christ.
It would be good to find a balanced approach when it comes to weak Christians, feeding them milk instead of solid food like meat, for a time. This is where it takes discernment, knowing when to apply both milk and meat. Paul spoke about this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as 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 men?”
In this situation Paul was talking about quarrels in the church which showed immaturity on their part. Preachers or teachers should never be put on pedestals but they should be respected and the Lord should be glorified, praise His holy Name. In this situation there were divisions in the church and they were causing believers to stumble by dividing one another instead of uniting in one accord. Even believers that have been in the church for a long time can still be carnal just babes in Christ.
There are other ways to cause brothers and sisters to stumble and Paul had something to say about them in 1 Corinthians 14:12-21, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”
As believers we have to be careful and not push our convictions on other believers which may cause them to stumble. We need to live in peace with our brothers and sisters in the Lord and encourage them to grow in their faith without being overbearing and judgmental in our attitudes, putting nothing in their way that will cause them to stumble. I don’t know about you but, to my shame, I have been guilty of this and need to repent and ask the Lord’s forgiveness for I am truly sorry and am in need of forgiveness. What about you? Something to think about, God bless and have a great day!!
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