Monday, November 22, 2010

Babes to Maturity, Physical Love to Spiritual Love

A few weeks ago I received a revelation as I once more meditated on a battle that goes on within me concerning my children growing older.  I mostly love the maturing process of my children, because I can connect with them better on a mental level.  I love having deep conversations with other human beings and learning things along with them.  However, I am one to give a lot of kisses and hugs to my children.  I could snuggle them all day, if I didn't have anything else to do.

It seems a person cannot have fully have both, and that is what fully dawned on me one day.  As a child gets older, he or she cannot be cradled or carried around.  He doesn't or cannot be held in the lap and snuggled.  He doesn't want as many kisses or hugs.  It's sad in a way, but the joy of having a fulfilling spiritual relationship with the child more than makes up for it, and if the bond is great enough, he'll never outgrow regular hugs and maybe kisses.

I got to thinking more about marital love, too.  Marital physical love is quite enjoyable.  Physical oneness is a good thing between a man and his wife.  However, there is no question in my mind that spiritual oneness between a man and his wife is so much better.

We were made with bodies that enjoy physical closeness, various ways to love physically, with different ways toward our children, spouses, and others.  But, spiritual love, a deep fulfilling relationship between the minds of people is so much greater!

Upon even further meditation, I realized that newly begotten sons of God still have a tendency to cling too much to physical/earthly things and not to spiritual things.  It's a beautiful thing to see babes of God love our Father so strongly with the way they know best (being familiar so much with earthly things), but it's much more enjoyable to fellowship with mature saints, to have those deep conversations and learning together.  It can actually get pretty draining if spiritual babies do not move on to maturity (Heb. 5:11-14; 6:1-2), and some do not move on too well.  I've had much experience with this, and also knowing how human children take a lot of work, I can better appreciate their ever-growing maturity, because perpetual human babies would also be very draining.

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