John 1:12-13



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Effective communication involves listening. Listen to God for what he wants to say to you. Don't just rattle off a shopping list of what you want him to do.

Did you know that an anagram of LISTEN is SILENT? Don't do all the talking when you're praying, stay quiet and listen to your breath (The Holy Spirit).

REMEMBER: Communicating strengthens relationships.

Eat

As you know, babies only drink milk. It takes time for their digestive system to handle solid food.

Paul talks about "spiritual milk and solid food".

The Bible is like our food. We need to feed on it. The Bible is God's special message to you. You need to take what you can cope with. In the same way as you wouldn't give a baby a Chicken Vindaloo for tea, don't go trying to read the whole thing in one go. So take little bits at a time.

Earlier you saw that God wants to talk to you. The Bible is the place where you will find He does most of His talking. Before you read a bit ask the Holy Spirit, to guide you, help you and inspire you and ask God to speak to you and I promise He will.

Nappy Changing

Anyone who has been near a baby for any significant amount of time will have noticed the certain aroma they produce. The smell is produced by something a thousand times more lethal...the dirty nappy.

It's a fact of life that none of us can escape. Our bodies filter the nourishment from the food and get rid of the toxins. The toxins that are left will poison us if not removed. Sin is rubbish; it is poison that spiritually kills people.

Jesus' death on the cross means that you can be forgiven for your sin. You need to come back to him again and let him remove the rubbish that builds up.

Family

In the same way that babies are born into families, you have been born into a new spiritual family.

When first born, a baby is defenseless and unable to feed or clothe itself. For a child to grow and fulfill it's potential it needs help and encouragement.

It's good to meet with people who believe the same as you, so that you can talk, learn and pray together. This maybe a group of friends at your house or anywhere else, but the best place for this is in a good church. It is there, that you will find people who feel the same as you and can help you in your new relationship with God. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.