Spiritual Maturity...

Spiritual Maturity....4-17-25

On my way to work this morning, I heard a quote by Chip Ingram: "Spiritual maturity isn't about how much you know. It's about how much of what you know shapes your life." As you learn more about Christ, delve into His word, and spend time in prayer with Him, you begin to mature spiritually. Now, let me pause here by saying, I am still a child in so many ways. I was saved at 8 years old. I read my Bible, I study the scriptures with Bible study lessons in different formats. I crave more knowledge about the scriptures. However, I am still spiritually maturing, we all are.

Troy of EverNearer.com states that "Spiritual maturity is a measure of a person’s growth in reliance upon, trust in, and understanding of God." I appreciate this description as it characterizes our ongoing relationship with the Lord. I believe that as we read His word and communicate with God, we build that intimate relationship, and we begin to understand the importance of trusting Him.

When Paul wrote Chapter 5 of Hebrews, he wrote to the church about their growth, saying, "You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong." Romans 5:10-14 (NLT). It would seem that someone who has been a Christian since they were 8 would be spiritually mature and not need additional instruction, make mistakes, sometimes stray, and need guidance. Not so! We are all in need of food, even at my age. We all need to be fed daily by His word. We all need guidance as we grow and develop. That doesn't stop because we reach a certain age of salvation. Just as in other areas, some people grow and mature spiritually in different ways than others. I do believe that we never stop growing spiritually.

At some point, we have to put away childish things and grow in the grace and knowledge of God as Christians in order to be His hands. I Corinthians 13:11. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the childish ways behind me." 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."