Fixing the baby’s bottle

I met with a group of men yesterday morning for breakfast, prayer, and bible study. It’s an accountability group. One of the men, Jon, shared an analogy of how we often react to God’s work in our lives. His analogy went something like this. A baby will fuss and whine and show his displeasure at its parents when it is hungry and wants to be fed. Little does the baby realize mom or dad is busy fixing the bottle. It’s not like mom or dad isn’t doing something for the baby. It’s just that the baby is not aware how busy they are in getting what it needs. As Christians we often whine, cry and complaine to God for not taking action when all along He is quite busy working for us! 

As a new grandparent I’ve recently watched this scene played out a few times. As I thought about this analogy I was impressed to take it a step further. For instance, some parents will try to calm and satisfy the hungry whining baby with a pacifier while working to get the bottle ready.

For some babies the pacifier does its job and pacifies the little tot for a short period. Other babies not so much. They just spit the thing out and cry and whine all the more. 

Ever wonder if we Christians ever get tired of waiting on God or just figure He isn’t doing anything to satisfy our need. The result is finding some other object to pacify us while we wait. That “pacifier” may not be what God wants for us. He may be some activity, event or preoccupation to satisfy us while we wait. It may very well be something which is really bad for us. Embracing false doctrine, leaning towards apostasy, rebellion, denial, dabbing into sinful lust and lifestyle. God is given up on and cast aside for weak unfulfilling replacements.

“But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”” John‬ ‭6:61-69‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Just because we don’t see God at work to satisfy our needs doesn’t mean He isn’t busy. My brothers and sister, do not cast God aside and exchange Him for temporal fulfillment. 

There are some good pacifiers. What to do while you wait on God? Choose these pacifiers. Be in prayer. Be active in bible study. And be active in witnessing for God.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:31‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Until next time,

Hoss