Word of the Week - Maturity
Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3-4
Maturity defined – The definition of a mature person is someone who has reached their full potential mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Spiritual maturity is achieved through becoming more like Jesus. After salvation, we begins the process of spiritual growth, with the intent to become spiritually mature. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:12-14 that becoming spiritually mature in Christ is an ongoing process. “not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Spiritual maturity as a believer requires a radical reordering of our priorities, from pleasing self to pleasing and serving God. We make Jesus the Lord of our lives and pursue a relationship with Him and His ways. We develop spiritual disciplines to abide in Him and stay connected to the vine of Christ through prayer, worship, study of God’s word, fellowship with other believers and being stewards of our gifts. We also call upon the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way we should go as we commune and walk with the Lord. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” Galatians 5:16 The more life I live as a follower of Je, the more I desire to grow in my maturity. In doing so, the Lord produces His fruit in us and through us. The fruit of His spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these spiritual fruits can also be considered biproducts of spiritual maturity.
Additional Characteristics of a mature person:
Show restraint – have control over their own feelings and emotions Mark 15:4
Responsible – they take responsibility for themselves and their actions Galatians 6:5-10
Grateful – they are thankful for what they have and recognize their blessings 1 Thes 5:18
Secure – they know who they are and are comfortable in their own skin 2 Corinthians 5:17
Considerate – they are aware of the needs of others 1 Corinthians 10:24
Humble – they recognize the value of others and are less about themselves and their ego Romans 12:3
Flexible – willing to work with others and adjust their agenda to accommodate others 1 Corinthians 1:10
Non-Judgmental – they look for the best in all people and reserve judgement Luke 6:37
Self-aware – they recognize that they have issues and blind spots that need to be addressed Psalm 51:10-12
Continuous learner – they realize there is always room to grow and improve Psalm 25:4-6
Growth & Maturity:
We must grow to mature but growth by itself does not translate to maturity. Some people do a lot of growing and never mature and reach their full potential. Maturing is a different process that involves time, experience and walking through and being tested by trials in life . People and organizations can grow very rapidly in short amounts of time but they don’t necessarily mature. In fact many times rapid growth results in relative immaturity. We see this often in businesses that experience rapid growth but have not had the time to mature by being tested, and therefore have not built a foundation of maturity needed to sustain the business. This can create illusions of grandeur that are not healthy and many times lead organizations down a path of dysfunction and ultimate failure. Just like the lifecycle of a business or product in business is the lifecycle of a person. Maturation is a process that requires time and experience with a willingness to learn and grow through the experiences and trials of life. This is the theme of James 1:3-4 above and also outlined by Paul in Romans 5:3-5, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy spirit, who has been given to us.”
So, let’s rejoice in the trials and challenges of life recognizing that they are a gift allowing us to become mature and complete in Christ Jesus.
Have a great week!!!
-Duane