“12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 5:12-14

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As a teacher, it is always my desire that others grow, mature and take a hold of what they learn. And a key part of learning is teaching someone else what you yourself have learned. It’s actually a tried and true training technique for all learners, that they would take what they know, or even what they want to know, and teach it to someone else. This act of study, preparation and presentation links our minds in with the material and our recall becomes much more secure. This is precisely why ministry belongs to every single believer. When you and I learn about Jesus, we are told that we must also teach others about Him. This continued teaching encourages continued learning and it enhances our own knowledge and abilities when it comes to doing it again.

When the author wrote this, He was again reteaching what he already knew, He had to think and engage with his belief and he was then made to express it so that others could gain understanding. Because of that, He was learning and growing as he was writing it, enhanced many times over by the fact that the Holy Spirit was also guiding him in this writing.

When you and I read passages like this, we must process what we read, engage with it and understand that we need to share with others what we have learned. And that’s what I am doing right now. As I read, study and examine, I share and communicate and it helps grow me as it hopefully helps others who will read it later on. Again, verse 14: “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Our powers of discernment are trained through constant practice with the result being the ability to distinguish good from evil.

If we want to grow and mature and have deeper understanding in Christ, (and why wouldn’t we, unless we are not serious?) then we will spend time reading, studying and teaching what we learn. It doesn’t have to be a formal classroom style environment, but at the lunch table or in the break room or over the fence in the back yard. There are so many places that we can share what we learn, and that sharing enhances our learning and our discernment so that we walk more and more like Christ. We begin to honestly evaluate everything we do, because everything becomes a learning experience. And in that learning and growth, we mature, we grow into the fullness of Christ. Its a wonderful thing to move from milk to meat and from selfishness to maturity as we GoLove others in His Name.