Get More Than a Sample

When we were expecting our second child, and the oldest was only about 20 months old, I sent my husband to get a new mattress for the baby bed.  We had moved the original baby bed mattress over to the little toddler bed for our daughter.

Much to my surprise, when my husband got home that day, he had a small, little mattress, about a third of the size of what the regular mattress should have been.  I asked what he had bought?  He said, "I bought what they had.  They were all this size."  Amazed, I asked more questions about "Why?"   "The worker, who happened to be extremely short in stature", he added, "is the one who pointed them out to me."  He had bought a small, little SAMPLE baby bed mattress instead of the regular sized one!  I couldn't believe it!  Yes, I was a little perturbed, but couldn't help but laugh at the situation at the same time!

A sample sized mattress didn't do us any good.  If it was put into the baby bed, it was obvious that 2/3 of a mattress was missing because the springs and coils were visible at the bottom of the bed.  It wouldn't work.  It wasn't enough.

Many people want just a sample of Christianity.  They believe in God.  They believe in Jesus, but that's as far as their faith will take them.  They are just getting a sample of what God has made available to them.  They are not getting all that comes from being a baptized believer.  They are not getting the fellowship that comes from being in unity with their Christian brothers and sisters of the church.  They are not getting involved in service to the Lord, in giving to the Lord, and the growing that comes along with it.  They are not maturing in their faith.  They are not bearing fruit. Their belief isn't to the extent that they are transforming to become more like Jesus.  And just like the sample baby bed mattress didn't work, neither will this.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:11-14

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

The next day after my husband bought the sample, he went to return it and replace it with a larger one.  My daughter, Mom and I happened to be going shopping that day, as well, so we went with him.  However, because Mom and I were laughing so hard about the small mattress, we stayed way back behind him as we followed him in.  We weren't sure what the customer service workers would say about the return!  Thankfully, it all worked out.  The sample mattress was returned and a regular mattress was purchased.  It's still one of our favorite memories that we laugh about.  Even my husband laughs.  (I hope he will as he reads this today, too!! Ha ha!)

If you are just getting a sample of Christianity, why don't you turn that around and get the whole thing?  God has offered so much to you.  He has a whole book of blessings and a plan in mind just for you.  Get the whole thing.  The sample just won't work.