And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
If you are like me, as a parent I was reluctant to see our last child go through the last stages of toddler hood. I remember saying to my youngest ‘you are growing up too fast! slow down.’ Of course I could not stop him from growing up any more that I could stop a freight train on the tracks behind my house! Oh, I am not saying we I was not happy to see the pacifier, bottle and diapers go, but watching them grow reminds us that the sweet stages of babyhood are giving way to the new challenges of childhood, and we will never see that stage in that child again!
In our spiritual lives we must also let go of those benchmarks of infancy and move on to maturity in Christ. However, in our lives maturity is not an automatic outcome of our years as believers. We ourselves need to put in the effort to become mature, just like we exercise to strengthen our muscles, or study to increase our knowledge. Recently my husband taught about that topic on a Wednesday night Bible study in our church. The following are his notes. I have put in the answers for you, though he left the blanks on the papers he gave us.
Without a doubt the biggest challenge we face in the church today is a lack of spiritual maturity. We get ourselves into all kinds of problems when we still say immature things, make immature decisions, and even act in immature ways. We need to check ourselves and become spiritually mature. We need to GROW UP!
2 Peter 3:18 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
A. Spiritual maturity is not a matter of AGE. Luke 2:52 reminds us that even Jesus grew in several ways including; wisdom, his stature and his likeability with man…and God! This indicates to us that these attributes are a growth process. The excuse we hear at times ‘that’s just the way I am-doesn’t work! It takes work for us to make changes, but before we can work on it, we need to be aware of it in our lives. That takes a regular review of our responses to situations, then consciously make the change to improve our behaviors.
B. Spiritual maturity is not a matter of appearance.
C. Spiritual maturity is not a matter of achievement.
***Spiritual maturity IS a matter of CHARACTER! Character is ‘who you are when on one is looking!’
Here are five benchmarks to look for when you want to see your spiritual growth:
- A spiritually mature person remains positive under pressure. James 1:2-4 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2 Peter 3:18 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.2.
- A spiritually mature person is sensitive to the needs of others. 1 John 3:17 17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
- 3. A spiritually mature person is a peacemaker not a troublemaker. Matthew 5:9 NIV: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
- A spiritually mature person is patient. James 5:7-8 7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the LORD’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the LORD’s coming is near.
- 5. A spiritually mature person is prayerful. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 17pray continually,
When my husband taught this class he mentioned the fact that we have this very powerful weapon of prayer at our disposal. Just think what might happen if we saw the likes of George Soros, one of the richest liberals on the planet, become a Christ follower! I started day dreaming about that, and I now toss it to you, my dear reader. I am also adding a few more rich, powerful liberals and I do hope you will join me in praying for these ‘Fearsome Five’ daily for salvation and revelation of truth in Christ!
Use the fingers on one hand as your reminders: George Soros
Bill Gates
Nancy Pelosi
Anthony Faucci
Tom Wolf
One of the quotes I have on my bulletin board reminds me that there is a purpose when we have a problem; ‘CRISIS REVEALS CHARACTER’. When you have had a crisis, how did you respond? What did that reveal about your character?
Another way to ‘judge’ your own progress is the degree of conflict you experience. A spiritually mature person lacks conflict. Peaceful calm when we are trusting God is the ‘cut of our Gib.’
Let’s not remain is our infancy, toddler hood, or even childhood in our walk with the Lord. Continue to examine yourself, your responses and behaviors to be sure you are growing, not only in stature, but also in spiritual maturity!
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