I remember the “binky”, the pacifier. When the baby was fussy trying to get some immediate attention for some need to be met, usually to be fed, and the parent could not address that need at that time, in went the binky to plug the cry hole. Many times this would calm the baby down for a little time until things could be arranged for whatever was needed. Because binkies have a tendency to get lost, it was always handy to have several around readily available to help things until the real need could be met. That helped make life a little smoother for short periods of time on a daily basis. As the baby grew and had better communication skills and could tend to its own needs more, it was important to wean it off the binky. It is not good to let it grow up being dependent on something that was a temporary, child-level pacification in its adult life. So the binky got laid aside.
The Bible indicates a time to leave behind a focus on the tools of growth and grow up into maturity and have the fruit of being a mature believer in the Lord (Hebrews 6). We are to get all the doctrinal and spiritual tools that are available, but they are not an end in themselves. They are to be incorporated into our lives on a daily basis and used to bless God, our families, others, and to help us maintain a pure, mature walk with the Lord. We can have beliefs and practices that might pacify us for a time, but in the Word there are great and precious promises of power, position, healing, and abundant fruitfulness that is for every believer. The heart of God is to reach the whole world for Jesus. All the work of Jesus, all the power of the Spirit of God, all the supernatural tools of the Spirit, and all the ministry gifts that God has placed in the Body of Christ is ultimately for one express purpose: To reach the whole world for Jesus. The hunger and thirst that is in the new nature of every born again believer is to reach others for Jesus. Many times religious activity, recreations, hobbies, relationships, and other things can pacify and distract us from that hunger and thirst for a while, but it does not truly provide the need for what the yearning in us is all about. We need to get rid of the binkies and grow up into fulfilling God’s plan and purpose in our lives. Being born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit with the supernatural gifts in operation, and maintaining our focus on following Jesus in reaching the whole world with the healing, delivering power of God upon us, is the basic plan and purpose of God for every person. Let’s exchange our binkies for God’s basic plan and reach the world for Jesus one soul at a time with much thanksgiving all year long.
