Share, pour, breastfeed

Share, pour, breastfeed

Message given on October 22, 2022 in Clermont-Ferrand, by Maria Durso, and summarized by Nicole

God communicates and interacts

In Genesis we see that God, who possessed all things, was not satisfied until he had an interlocutor with whom to communicate and share. We are made in the image of God: ownership does not meet our deepest need, because we are above all, beings who need to communicate.

2000 years ago, God in Jesus Christ paid a great price to restore the lost relationship with mankind. He loves people more than goods and he gave himself to others.

Women who interact out of love

We ourselves feel satisfaction when we love others more than our possessions. It is through the love that we show others, that we demonstrate to God our love for Him. Let’s read Hebrews 6.10:

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.”

The allegory of breastfeeding

To help us understand spiritual realities, God offers us metaphors and allegories.

Paul, for example, compared himself to a woman experiencing the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in believers (Galatians 4.19).

Let’s have a look at the metaphor in 1 Thessalonians 2.7-8 where it speaks of breastfeeding women:

“But we were as gentle among you as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

Keys to spiritual breastfeeding

Here are 7 keys to breastfeeding:

1. Breastfeeding involves an interdependent relationship

The baby needs the mother’s milk, but the mother also needs the baby to suckle, otherwise she will suffer. Let us not hesitate to obey as soon as the Holy Spirit inspires us to breastfeed someone.

2. Breastfeeding involves an intergenerational relationship

The child retrieves the nutrients transmitted to him by his mother. The fact of the matter is that there is interconnection: every Joshua needs a Moses, every Ruth needs a Boaz, every Paul needs a Timothy, and vice versa. Young people need older people, and mature people need young people… we need each other, because our destinies are interconnected.

3. Breastfeeding involves reciprocity

We are mutually responsible for each other. It is therefore a question of bringing the presence of God to each other reciprocally. Even in challenges and difficulties, Paul felt joy and encouragement because of the faith of believers. They provided and supported him in various ways.

4. Breastfeeding strengthens the uterus

Breastfeeding produces something positive in the woman who do it.

 5. Breastfeeding increases the possibility of breastfeeding

In subtraction, there is addition! “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” (Ps. 81.10). We often look at how little we have and think we have nothing to offer. The spiritual principle is to give in order to have even more to give! On that note, think back to the prophet Elisha who asked the widow who had only a small vial of oil left, to fetch as many empty vessels as possible from her neighbours and to fill them with the contents of her small vial… the oil kept flowing as long as she had containers to fill!

6. Breastfeeding involves “skin-to-skin”

In spiritual language, this means showing ourselves as we are, true, authentic, with our strengths and our weaknesses.

7. Breastfeeding involves taking care of yourself too

It is necessary to have good hygiene to avoid having to stop breastfeeding. Cracked nipples need a balm. Mastitis is a serious infection, which does not prevent breastfeeding but makes it very painful. Be aware that a breastfed baby can bite the nipple and hurt his mother. Likewise, it happens that we are bitten by the people we have at heart, by those we have placed on our hearts and whom we nourish spiritually! Do their bites generate bitterness in us? Do we decide to protect ourselves from then on, by no longer breastfeeding them?

In summary and following the metaphor of breastfeeding, let’s open our blouses and breastfeed! There is so much to give!

The Lord is on our side! Have a beautiful day!