“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?” (Isaiah 28:9 NKJV)

 

As a child grows up, he needs to be weaned from the breast milk and thus an undue attachment to his mother.

 

Likewise, a believer needs to be weaned from all his former sinful and selfish affections, passions, and attachments.

 

Every mother pays the price to wean her child, but the rewards outweigh the cost.

 

Similarly, the rewards or blessings of weaning your soul infinitely outweigh the sacrifices required and the efforts involved in weaning your soul.

 

Like a weaned child, a weaned soul is always calmed, quiet, and peaceful.

 

A weaned soul is a plowed, broken, pliable land for God’s Word to bear desired fruits. It takes a weaned soul to hear and understand the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

 

An unweaned soul or an unrenewed mind is a great hindrance to obeying, following, and serving the Lord Jesus Christ on His terms, for the carnal, unweaned, or unrenewed mind is hostile towards God and cannot submit to God’s law (Rom. 8:6-8).

 

Weaning a soul is similar to weaning a child in many ways. It is a gradual process and not an easy task. It requires diligence, discipline, and determination.

 

Let us draw an analogy between the process of weaning a child and weaning your soul from its former ways and patterns.

 

First, in weaning a child, the mother must not allow the child to control, influence, or manipulate her by his/her constant cries.

 

The mother must be resolute and in firm control of the weaning process, or else the weaning process may be prolonged and aborted.

 

In the beginning, the baby will cry, protest, and reject every substitute offers to him/her, but the mother must insist and persist.

 

Likewise, in the process of weaning your soul from its former inclinations, affections, and addictions, your regenerated spirit under the influence of the Holy Spirit must govern, control, and influence your will, mind, and emotions.

 

Your mind must not be allowed to continue to feed on any garbage, worthless or corrupt thing.

 

What then should you allow your mind to feed on?

 

Paul gives us the proper substitutes in his epistle to the Philippians.

 

Philippians 4:8 – NKJV

 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.

 

You must be a watchful or vigilant gatekeeper at every entrance to your mind. Your eyes must be restrained from wandering about or being fixated on things that could corrupt your mind.

 

Your ears must not be inclined to hear things that do not edify. You must also not allow corrupt speech to proceed out of your mouth, but that which edifies and imparts grace to the hearers (Eph. 4:29).

 

It is wisdom to heed Solomon’s wise caution in Proverbs.

 

Proverbs 4:23-27 – DBY

 23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.

 24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

 

Second, in weaning a child, the mother must introduce suitable substitutes for breast milk to her child.

 

Similarly, in weaning your soul, it is a must to introduce God’s Word—pure, sound, or wholesome words, doctrines, or teachings of Christ and His early apostles in the New Testament.

 

When you constantly and continuously expose your soul to God’s Word through a disciplined and prayerful reading, hearing, studying, meditating upon, imbibing, and obeying God’s Word, your soul will be purified and delivered from its former sinful inclinations, affections, addictions or attachments.

 

Peter attests, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart.” (1 Pet. 1:22 RSV).

 

It is God’s Word that purifies your soul from its sinful desires, passions, or motives!

 

When you begin to read, receive, believe, meditate in, obey or apply the truths of God’s Word increasingly, your soul will also be weaned or cleaned increasingly from its former evil or corrupt affections and addictions (Eph. 5:26).

 

Jesus said to His disciples, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3 NKJV).

 

Jesus also prayed for His disciples thus: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NKJV).

 

God’s truth or word sanctifies, purifies, renews, and weans the believers’ souls. Therefore, you cannot wean your soul until you lay aside every other thing to feed constantly or continuously only on God’s Word.

 

Many believers today are still struggling with unclean and immoral thoughts simply because they continue to feed their minds with impure and immoral things and not with the pure truths of God’s Word.

 

James admonishes, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (Jam. 1:21 NKJV).

 

The Psalmist writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psa. 19:7 NKJV).

 

Third, in weaning a child from breast milk, the mother must gradually detach herself from her baby.

 

It is often difficult to wean a baby the mother cuddles and plays with all day. His mother’s warmness or closeness often stimulates the baby’s hunger for breast milk.

 

Therefore, while weaning the child, the mother should often distance herself from her baby and allow other people to look after and play with her baby.

 

In the same manner, it will be challenging to wean your soul from its former passions and addictions when you still keep your old ungodly association or company (2 Thess. 3:6).

 

While Christianity is not equivalent to isolation from sinners, yet you must be extremely careful about your association with sinners or unbelievers lest they influence and entice you to follow their sinful ways.

 

Solomon warns, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Prov. 12:26 NKJV).

 

While you are weaning your soul from its former sinful passions, affections, or addictions, there are people you must not make your close friends or confidants. There are also places you should not go or stay for relaxation lest your former sinful passions become revived or stimulated.

 

The Scripture warns:

 

“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Cor. 15:33 NKJV).

 

“Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” (Prov. 22:24-25 NKJV).

 

Lastly, the mother must be disciplined, determined, and focused in weaning a child.

 

Weaning a child is a gradual process. It, therefore, demands diligence, consistency, and perseverance. Slothfulness, inconsistency, and lack of discipline can interrupt or delay its timely completion.

 

While the baby is learning and making progress in the transition from breast milk to other sources of nourishment, the mother must not at any time tempt or pamper the baby again with the breast milk.

 

Similarly, in the process of weaning your soul from its former inclinations, passions, and addictions, you must be determined and disciplined and not carelessly expose your soul to anything that will again defile or corrupt it or stir up its former sinful affections.

 

You must never be tired of refusing to gratify the desires or lusts of the flesh by yielding yourself constantly to the Holy Spirit and depending on His help and power.

 

Paul amply admonishes us not to fulfill or gratify the lusts of the flesh.

 

Galatians 5:16-18 – NKJV

 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

Romans 6:12-13 – NKJV

 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

 

Beloved, it is hazardous to be careless about your soul by not filtering or screening what you allow to enter your mind through its gateways – your eyes and your ears.

 

The Scripture warns, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.” (Prov. 19:16 NKJV).

 

Therefore, “Above every charge keep thy heart, for out of it are the outgoings of life.” (Prov. 4:23 YLT).

 

 

Prayer: My Dear Holy Spirit, help and strengthen me to be disciplined and persistent in weaning my soul from its former sinful and selfish inclinations, affections, and addictions, in Jesus’ name. Amen.