One of my favourite things to do in the Summer time is to explore with my children at the beach. Things that seem every day to me are fascinating to them. They love to search the tidal pools for sea creatures at low tide. On one occasion we found a large tidal pool with quite a few crabs in it. Some were average size, but many of them were very small. We made a game out of seeing who could find the smallest crab. Some had shells the size of quarters, some the size of pennies. My daughter was enjoying a little crab that was crawling on her hand. Its shell was just a little larger than a quarter. It was so tiny it couldn’t pinch her and it tickled as is crawled around.
“Oh look,” I said, “here is the tiniest one yet today.” I had never seen such a small crab, its shell was about the size of a pinkie finger nail, so tiny. “I’d like to hold that one too,” my daughter said, so I gently placed it on her hand next to the larger one. We began to walk to another part of the pool to see what other interesting sea life we could find when my daughter stopped fast. “The big one just ate the little one!” she said, somewhat horrified. I hadn’t expected that! I didn’t think it was big enough for that, or that it would want to. I guess in the animal world, the grown-ups aren’t necessarily interested in protecting the smaller, weaker creatures.
Instinctively, people protect their young. Babies are cuddled close; toddlers are watched with an attentive eye. Out of habit I have often caught myself at the playground warning other people’s children to “hold tight” as they climb the monkey bars. It is so natural, so instinctive to protect, and yet with Christians it isn’t always the case. Well-meaning Christians can often leave new, immature Christians feeling condemned, discouraged, and like they have been devoured.
It is important for us to remember that each Christian has a beginning point in their faith walk. None of us made a decision to follow Christ and was immediately all grown up spiritually. Growth is gradual, with Jesus as our goal. All of us are in the process of becoming, and yet in this life none of us will ever reach perfection. The body of Christ can provide a wonderful place for Christians to grow together. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a place of discouragement and condemnation. Growth takes place best in an environment of love, encouragement, and patience. Everyone needs to have the freedom to tell a fellow Christian “this week, I blew it,” because often we do.
Galatians 5:15 paints a horrible picture, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Sounds like those crabs, doesn’t it? That poor little crab had no idea what hit it. Let’s not be “crabby Christians” harming each other with discouraging words. Rather,” we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak.” (Romans 15:1) The body of Christ is meant to be a safe haven for growth. As Ephesians 4:15, 16 tells us;
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
We can take a lesson from the little crabs on what not to be. With love, let’s make our church a place where baby Christians can grow and bloom. Together, let’s learn from our failures and push on in our faith aiming toward our goal, Jesus.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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