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.