“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psalms 131:2 NKJV).
Weaning a child who has been living on breast milk from birth could be very challenging. Babies are not so keen, eager or excited about their transition from breast milk to other sources of nourishment. It could be quite challenging and frustrating to the parents!
I watched helplessly as my wife struggled to wean our daughter when she was almost one year. My daughter did not quite like the idea, for she had become addicted to the breast milk, and perhaps to being cuddled by her mum while sucking.
Even though the breast milk could hardly satisfy her any longer, yet she passionately resisted leaving the breast milk for anything else.
I watched my daughter as she continued to struggle with her mum during her weaning process, weeping all night most times and rejecting every substitute offered to her.
I nearly interrupted and frustrated the weaning process, but for my wife’s unshakeable resolution and determination. Eventually, my daughter gave up breast milk and accepted every substitute we offered her.
What a relief to all!
Although my daughter protested and resisted all through her weaning process, and almost won my sympathy and support, yet she was better off at the end.
After she was weaned, she no longer needed to cling always to her mum. She could now do without seeing her mum for hours.
She was no longer agitated in her mum’s absence because her Dad could now serve her meals. She could now play more with her Dad, and we both now enjoy our company better.
What a freedom for all!
As it is compulsory for a child to be weaned and be detached from her mother, so it is a must for you as a believer to wean your soul and detach it from its former sinful addictions, passions, and affections.
As a result of the fall of man, the soul of man has become totally corrupt. Man has become self-willed, obstinate, and rebellious to God. His mind has become deceptive and evil. And his emotions have also become wild, insincere, deceptive, unstable and unpredictable.
After the fall, man became a corrupt version of who and what God created and intended him to be!
The Scripture clearly states this truth.
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5 NKJV).
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9 NKJV).
Before you became a new creation in Christ your soul has become addicted to sins. Likewise, your will, mind and emotions have become well developed and formed in transgression and rebellion to God.
Therefore, after your new birth experience you must make deliberate, diligent and determined efforts to wean your soul from its natural, selfish and sinful ways, cares, addictions, affections, passions, or patterns.
If you fail to wean your soul you will always struggle to do God’s will, for though your born-again or recreated spirit delights to do God’s will, yet your carnal mind will always protest and resist against God’s will.
This is why the Scripture commands you to renew your mind!
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 RSV).
As an unweaned child remains attached to her mother so does an unweaned soul remains attached to its sinful passions and patterns.
An unweaned soul is always agitated, troubled, fretful, fearful, doubting, anxious, worried and impatient.
Many believers today are not enjoying their Christian life because they have failed to wean their souls from its former attachments.
An unweaned soul is the greatest hindrance to obeying, worshipping and serving God.
Nothing hinders you from fulfilling your God-ordained purpose in life more than being self-willed, unpliable, unyielding and unsubmissive to God’s Word and Spirit.
The carnal, un-renewed and un-sanctified mind is hostile towards God and cannot submit to God’s law.
Romans 8:
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (NKJV).
A weaned soul, like a weaned child, is often calmed and quiet!
The Psalmist reveals, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psa. 131:2 NKJV).
The unweaned soul is known by its agitation, restlessness, and noise!
The Psalmist queries his unweaned soul, asking, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” (Psa. 42:5 NKJV).
An unweaned soul is an unploughed, unbroken, and thorny land which is unsuitable for good seeds to grow.
The word of God will never bear fruit in an unweaned soul because it is always full of cares, worries, anxieties, and fears.
This is the reason why God’s Word bears no good fruits in many believers!
Explaining the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, the Lord Jesus explains, “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” (Matt. 13:22 NKJV).
Samuel had to be weaned before he was brought to the house of the LORD in Shiloh and placed under the tutelage and guardianship of Eli (1 Sam. 1:24-28).
Likewise, your soul needs to be weaned for you to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit.
An unweaned soul will always doubt, oppose, resist and reject the voice, leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14).
Beloved, the greatest evil you can do to yourself after your new birth experience is to leave your soul unweaned or your mind unrenewed.
The soul that is left unweaned will ultimately hinder you from receiving, appropriating and enjoying the inexhaustible riches of God’s grace that are yours in Christ.
If you fail to wean your soul from its former addictions, affections and attachments, you will not be able to reach or maximize your full potentials in Christ.
Friend, it is dangerous to leave your soul unweaned after you are born-again!
How then do you wean your soul?
Find out in the second part of this piece!
Prayer: My Dear Holy Spirit, teach, help and strengthen me to wean my soul from its natural and sinful addictions, affections, and attachments, in Jesus’ name. Amen.