“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2
This past weekend we weaned my daughter off of her pacifiers. I’ve heard of other babies who never really liked pacifiers, but my daughter has always treasured them. She has loved sleeping with her three “ba bas”, as she calls them, since she was an infant. So, we knew that we might be in for a bit of a battle to say goodbye to the “ba bas”.
When you think about it, a pacifier is essentially a lie. It provides a measure of comfort because it mimics a baby’s mother and source of nutrition. But it does not provide any real nourishment. They aren’t truly needed as we need genuine food and fluids.
I was too young when I stopped using a pacifier to ever remember using one. But I do remember as a grown man when I had one placed around my neck for an entire week. I was at a spiritual retreat in Malibu and the host gave each of us a pacifier connected to a necklace to wear around our neck. We had to where it even when we left the retreat center and ventured into public. It was somewhat humiliating and that was part of the point. The leader of the retreat wanted to give us a vivid reminder that as adults, many of us go through life relying on a “pacifier”. We find comfort in that which does not provide true spiritual nutrition. It provides momentary solace but never the nutrients that cultivate spiritual growth. A grown-up pacifier might take the form of an alcohol bottle, an addiction to gambling, eating a gallon of ice cream, a habit of gossiping, an overuse of TV, browsing on the internet, or an unhealthy relationship. We use these pacifiers to provide ourselves with a form of comfort that will never truly produce our spiritual growth.
So, our Heavenly Father wants to take our “ba bas” away. And it is often a battle. We often let them go kicking and screaming. Sometimes, we never let them go.
My daughter did amazingly well giving up her “ba bas”. After a couple of nights she realized that she did not truly need them. We told her that we were so proud of her growing up and she beamed with joy.
What pacifier are you clinging to in your life that God is nudging you to let go of? He knows you don’t need it. He knows it is keeping you a spiritual baby. He is able, willing, longing, to give you true spiritual nutrition for your growth. Say goodbye to the “ba ba”.