Acts 15:36 NKJV
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
When children are born, they are not left to themselves to fend for themselves and figure out how to survive and grow on this earth. The parents take care of them. They are taken home where they are loved and nurtured so that they can grow up, where they can begin to do certain things on their own.
In the same manner, spiritual infants need love, care, feeding, and protection to grow into spiritual maturity. The sad reality is that very few in the church are skilled in the care and feeding of new believers. For some reason, we expect them to grow up and take responsibility as soon as they ate born again and when they stumble and soil themselves as all babies do, we are very harsh with them, sometimes even rejecting them.
Follow up is important because it is that process of training that brings spiritual infants to a place of gradual growth and maturity in their walk and service to the Lord. When the 3000 got saved in the books of Acts, they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer. That’s follow up. The 120 who were in the upper room created a space where this could happen.
Just as Paul cared for those he had won to Christ by writing letters to them and going back to visit and see how they were doing, we too must follow up on those who are born again.
If we each take on this responsibility, the rate of “infant mortality” would greatly be reduced in the church.
Reflections.
- What do you feel when you see abandoned children in the streets, fending for themselves?
- Were you followed up after you got born again? Who followed you up?
- Who was the last person you followed up to ensure that they are natured and growing in their faith?
