The Dead Do Not Grow!

Over the years, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line staff has had their share of memorable calls. Some inquiries standout because they are heartwarming or amusing. Here are a couple of the veteran staff member's favorites. These are real incidents, true stories!

A caller from Virginia wondered, "How do you thaw a fresh turkey?" The Talk-Line staffers explained that fresh turkeys are not frozen and do not need to be thawed.

A woman called to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's still running around outside."

Then there is the time a woman was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but could not find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead".

We do not expect dead things to grow. Growth is evidence that an organism is alive. Christians are commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). The Christian who fails to grow spiritually is dead spiritually.

The growth process should come naturally to the Christian. Sadly however, that is not the case for many. Years in the fellowship of a local church does not make one a mature Christian. It takes effort to grow. Peter instructs Christians, "as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;" 1 Peter 2:2.

When it comes to the words of God, the Christian is to long for them like the newborn babe desires mother's milk. Those who have children know how enthusiastically a baby can desire feeding. They do not care that it is three o'clock in the AM. They want fed and they want fed without hesitation.

Longing for the spiritual milk cannot be done passively. The longing for or desire, of which Peter speaks, can be described as an overwhelming passion. It is so strong that it will seek out fulfillment regardless of the obstacles. The Psalmist speaks of this type person as being a blessed man who delights in the law of Jehovah and meditates on it day and night (Psalms 1:2).

Many of the problems faced by Christians are of their own making. They occur because of a lack of spiritual growth. The greatest problem is that these same Christians do not understand their need for spiritual growth. They become caught in a vicious cycle. The lack of spiritual growth causes problems in their lives. The problems in their lives hinder Bible study, thus prohibiting them from growing spiritually. Hence, the cycle continues causing the Christian to become weaker and weaker. If the cycle is not broken, the Christian will die spiritually.

We must study the Bible diligently and have an active spiritual life to be alive and growing (Romans 12:1-2). The alternative is to be like a frozen turkey. Remember, the dead do not grow!

By Glen Young

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