Spiritual Maturity.

How spiritually mature are you?

This is not a test.  It's an honest question.

How old do you think you are spiritually?  

I have been following Christ for eight years now, but I wouldn't say I could be compared to an actual eight-year old.  Then again, I couldn't say that I am 27, or even 45, or 82 spiritual years old.  I feel like I am young and still have much to learn, but I also have learned quite a few things along the road to maturing as a believer.

I think one of the first steps to maturing spiritually is to realize that you can mature spiritually.  But what does that even mean?  How do you even gauge your own spiritual maturity?  Other people might view me as 'mature' maybe because I go to church regularly, or I carry my own Bible to religious gatherings, or I can actually quote Scripture, or I pray sometimes in restaurants before eating.  This is by NO means a brag list.  In fact, I don't think God would be too impressed with this list, or any list of the things I 'do.'  And honestly, His is the only opinion that I (should) care about.

I think I began thinking about spiritual maturity at the beginning of this Lenten season.  I saw a bunch of people posting stuff on Facebook about the things they were giving up for Lent.  I started to feel like I needed to post something too, just so people knew that I was keeping up with this liturgical tradition and that I was still 'on track' with God.  Nevermind the fact that Jesus tells us that our fasting should be done in secret.(Matthew 6:16-18).

I like what one of my friends wrote on Facebook as everyone else was posting things about what they were giving up for Lent.  He said, "I'm giving up Lent for Lent."  I don't really know what he personally meant by that, but for me it meant giving up the culturally meaningless tradition in exchange for something more powerful and life-changing.  Soul-changing.  So I gave up Starbucks.

Since I started to reflect on spiritual maturity, I have reneged on giving up Starbucks.  I don't think God was too impressed that I was able to abstain from that frothy goodness; so I enjoyed a delicious grande tuxedo mocha with skim milk, no whip, just this morning.


Here are some things I observed about spiritual maturity while consuming my custom cappuccino:

1.  Humility is the mark of growth
In Christian circles, we call it 'teachability.'  That is, how willing are you to admit you are wrong, that YOUR way may not be the right way, and that you don't know it all.  It's like being a baby, looking to someone to constantly teach you how to eat, sleep, play, etc.  In fact, the Bible uses the 'infant' and 'spiritual milk' analogy often when talking about spiritual maturity.

1 Peter 2:2-3

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

A friend recently said that in an age when willpower is so valued, this time of Lent (and even our own spiritual journey) should be a time of surrender-a reliance on God rather than self-determination.  That is true humility.

2.  Be on a "constant path of discovery of who God is..."
I borrowed this one from a friend.  In growing and maturing, we should be graduating from the bottle to solid food.  The author of Hebrews advises that, "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (5:13-14)
The author says that this constant pursuit trains us as believers.  We can mature, and even more than that, we will be given discernment...which leads me to the next point.

3.  Discernment
"Distinguishing good from evil" from that last verse is also a sign of maturity.  I don't think this just includes right from wrong, I think it also means utilizing the Holy Spirit in your life and distinguishing the difference between the voice of God, and the voice of the enemy.  We need to acknowledge the spiritual battle waging around us, and take sides.  Paul warns his comrades about following the ways of this world and not discerning good from evil... that it is a mark of spiritual immaturity:

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly."

 This means that our convictions should lead to repentance...an actual turning away from the sin that makes us 'worldly.'  And with humility is a necessity for repentance.

4.  Accountability

(Number four?!  I feel like I'm drafting a sermon here...)

Trying to mature spiritually on your own really stunts your growth, as I have observed in my own life and in others.  God designed the Church as a place where believers can 'sharpen' one another in their faith.  It's a place to be challenged to grow in areas where you might be stubborn to change, but it is also a place to be encouraged and empathized with as you mature.  People think that no one should 'judge' each other, but really, if we are believers, we are actually called to challenge each others struggles with sin.  Just be sure you aren't looking at the speck in someone else's eye before looking at the plank in your own.   

5. Recognizing the phases of growth

 This means not only understanding that you will go through phases as a believer, but that so will others who are growing around you and giving them grace as they do.  Sometimes you will be more disciplined than others in your growth; other times you will feel so broken that reaching out to anyone is exhausting.

That's all I could come up with.  Can you think of anything to add?  Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Cliche American Christians.

This is less of a review and more of a commentary on the Christian subculture in America.  I hate to sound cynical, but after years of being a Christian I have observed a few things.  Enjoy!

Most of the Christian characters in Tom Perrotta's book The Abstinence Teacher made me cringe.  Cringe!  It made me want to tout that slogan, "Lord, save us from your followers!"

I think there were several times when I screamed out loud, or wanted to throw the book against the wall.  This is because the characters were what I have dubbed "Cliche American Christians."  I don't know if the author is a Christian or not, but with insightful precision, he managed to capture the essence of the Christian subculture in America, and it made me want to vomit.

Cringe and vomit.

And this is coming from me...a Christian!

The story follows Ruth Ramsey, a sex education teacher who had gotten in trouble by the Tabernacle Church people after she had supposedly endorsed oral sex in school.  They threatened to sue, and after that, an abstinence program that Ruth had a hard time promoting was implemented in the curriculum.

The narrative switches back and forth between her story and Tim, a recovering addict who is now trying to make amends of his former party lifestyle by being 'the good Christian.'  He also coaches Ruth's daughter's soccer team, and gets in trouble when he spontaneously gathers the girls for a prayer after a victory.  He is divorced and has a daughter of his own, and frequently fantasizes about his former wife (who is now remarried) while being married to this sheltered girl that Pastor Dennis (the charismatic, driven Evangelical leader of the Tabernacle Church) introduced to him. 

My first problem with the book was as follows:
Tim's heart is genuine and I appreciate that the author allowed insight into his mind to explore the complicated rationale for his decisions, because I felt like that was real.  People are complicated, and they face complicated decisions daily, especially when faith is a factor.  The other Christians portrayed were just flat, though, and hence why I call them “cliche.”  Pastor Dennis was a typical, controlling-perhaps even manipulative-character whose motivations may have stemmed from care and concern but came across and judgmental and damning.  Certainly people like him exist in the church world, but I felt it cheapened the experience of the book to have a Bible-wielding, graceless leader who could not sympathize at all with others struggling through important issues.

So my question for authors is, why can’t people write real stories about real Christians?  Why are we always portrayed a certain way, in a certain light?  Is it because our agenda has clouded peoples’ minds to see what we are really like?  I have struggled with this for years.  Even Christian ‘mainstream’ music is cliche.  Sure, there are rare gems out there, but I think to myself, can we not get more creative than that?  As Christians who live in this world, we have access to an unlimited supply of creativity, yet for some reason, it is cheapened by cliches and corniness.  And guess what?  The world takes notice, and categorizes us in that.  People can tell the difference between authenticity and cliche.  And cliche turns off honest people.  Every. Single. Time.  And I’m not suggesting we turn Christianity into a hipster movement, this underground awesome circle that people want to be part of because we wear bohemian clothes (although I do love them) or listen to obscure bands.  The real Gospel is indifferent to cliches or being hip.  As Christians culture can be utilized as we live ‘in’ it, but certainly should not become our driving force.

My second problem with the book came more out of a major plot development than it did the actual style of the writing.  When Tim prays with his team, he receives backlash from the parents, especially Ruth, and immediately Tim’s church-going cohorts chalk it up to persecution for the Bible and the sake of the Gospel.  I have a problem with this, because I see it often in the political atmosphere between Christians and the ‘secular’ realm.

I don’t believe that what Christians experience in America is real persecution just because prayer is threatened to be taken out of schools.  As my husband and I talked through this issue together, we agreed that real persecution happens when people are made fun of, mocked, and ridiculed, even marginalized or ostracized for their beliefs, some to the point of death.  Hmmm, sorta sounds like the gay struggle in this nation.

However, I know that plenty of Christians in other nations frequently risk their freedom and their lives for sharing the Gospel.  Not their agenda to pray in school or public places.  Not for gay marriage to be banned.  The actual Gospel, where Jesus died on the cross for the sins of humanity and was raised from the dead.  The other peripheral issues that Christians in America are trying to proselytize are merely an agenda, and resistance to this agenda is not persecution.

Last time I checked, Christianity was not synonymous with America.  And also, the attitude Christians have while tackling these issues often comes off as prideful, rather than an attitude of gentle humility.

My challenge, inspired by reading this book, is both to Christians and to non-Christians alike.  Don’t make cliches!  As one author put it, ‘avoid cliches like the plague.‘  I think Christians are often more guilty of this than non-Christians.  My other is to Christians alone:  don’t cry foul when someone rises up against your religious agenda.  Our hope as Christians is not in an agenda.  Don’t let culture (and politics) be your canvas of change.  If you do, I believe it cheapens the real Gospel and what people are dying for around the world.

I’m willing to say I’m wrong.  Perhaps you have a different view?
If you read the book...what are your thoughts?