Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Maturity doesn’t come simply with the passage of time, but with experience and practice. Some people seem never to learn from their experiences! Failing to learn from experience is not being a good steward of what God provides, because He allows things in our lives to bless us, either directly, as correction, or as training for maturity. The most important point of this verse is the matter of distinguishing good from evil. To do that consistently, we’ve got to be desiring to please God, that is, do good. Far too many people don’t really have “pleasing God” even on their radar, much less in the forefront of their awareness. When that is the case, “good” becomes whatever feels enjoyable at the moment, without regard for absolutes of any sort. It doesn’t take a very close inspection to realize that is the case for much if not most of society today. Such an attitude essentially closes the ears to truth, to the point that they really don’t hear it at all. Christians have at least opened the door to truth, but their capacity to hear it will be governed by their commitment to follow it. None of us has a perfect grasp of God’s truth, which is why dogmatism can be so dangerous, but we grow in our understanding and appreciation of God’s truth by applying it to the degree that we have it. That, too, is what this verse is talking about. We aren’t given deeper revelation until we walk in what we already have.

This applies to me personally, as well as to my ministry of the Word to others. Those who are committed to obedience to God grow by leaps and bounds, while those who cling to things of the flesh and the world hardly grow at all. The crazy thing is, sometimes what people cling to isn’t pleasurable, but is something like resentment or unforgiveness or jealousy. I need to be gentle but firm with all, keeping watch over my own commitment to obedience and administering God’s grace even as I have received it. I know too well how easy it is to be distracted from the high calling that God has given us!

Father, several examples immediately come to mind. I expect to interact today with one person who is struggling in this area. I ask for Your words to flow from Your love through me to them, so that they may be strengthened and encouraged, rather than cast down. I pray that I would be an instrument of affirmation, helping them stand against all the lies of the devil, so that they may have the courage to choose obedience to You at every turn, believing and trusting that Your plans for them are good, acceptable, and perfect, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!