I love spiritual discussions. Not debates. Not bickerings. Not conversations, heated or calm, where two or more people present their own opinions and walk away clinging even more strongly to those opinions with no real change. No, the discussions I love are real discussions. The ones that result in learning and growth.
So what, you may ask, defines a “real” discussion? I think a passage in Hebrews answers that question perfectly.
Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1-2
In the closing verses of Hebrews 5, the author is mourning the fact that the believers had not matured and were still requiring milk instead of solid spiritual food. Chapter six begins with an admonishment to move forward and stop haggling over foundational things, pressing on to the meaty truths of growth in Christ.
So often as we sit around in our Sunday school classes, Bible studies, accountability groups, friendly gatherings, and even in our homes, we fall into the same trap. We center our discussions on the elementary things. We discuss why we do or do not feel like we have faith. We debate sin, our own or that of others. We talk about what we should and shouldn’t eat, drink, or do as Christians.
What if we were to spend our effort going deeper? What if we were to challenge one another? Whet one another’s appetite for the Word of God? Spur one another to action and growth? What if our discussions were to truly change our lives and the lives of those around us?
Those are the discussions I love. One of my favorite things about being both a mother and a teacher is hearing good, solid questions asked. Questions that lead to more questions. Questions that lead believers to dig deeper into the Bible for answers. Questions whose answers give true life-changing results. Every day my husband and I linger around the dinner table so that we can hear what our children have read in their devotional times. They have the chance to share what stood out to them, and we ask them questions related to what they share. We interact. We discuss. Sometimes it’s a short discussion that really doesn’t have any immediate results. But, other times, the discussion is deep, and we can almost see the growth happening before our eyes. Yes, all of those are the discussions I love because even if they don’t show immediate results, they are still pointing my family in a direction of growth.
If we are lacking in those real discussions with fellow believers, we might want to stop and check ourselves. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, God’s Word cannot help but make itself a part of our daily conversation. But, we can still keep our interaction limited to just spiritual milk. We can go through daily life with nothing of substance to offer, receiving nothing of substance from others. May we be bold enough to take our conversation deeper! May we be confident enough to encourage others to partake of the meat of God’s Word also. May we hunger for our conversation to be so dynamic that we and others grow every time we discuss spiritual things. And then may we rejoice to see our lives and the lives of those around us change as we all grow closer to our Savior!
Not Quite Ordinary 