Christian Living

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True Spiritual Maturity
By Sharon Riddle

Everyone likes to think they are “mature”. As Christians we desire to attain to Christ-likeness, or spiritual maturity. But how do we assess our progress? In what ways can we truly determine the stature of our inner man?

In our church’s Christian school, students who exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit are given Christian Character Awards. Show patience on the playground and you might find yourself being applauded the next week on stage in front of the other students. Display kindness, patience or generosity and in a short while your family, as well as the entire school staff is noting that you have made a good choice. It’s terrific reinforcement of “spiritually mature” behavior.

However, as grown-ups, we don’t go around giving weekly awards for the demonstration of good choices. If we did, then an elderly person who endured a long painful illness with cheerfulness and trust might be surprised in church with a standing ovation. Or a worker that chose honesty over profit might find family and friends proudly taking snapshots and slapping him on the back after the fact. But alas, there are no awards for such choices. That’s because the idea of being a spiritual grown up implies that we do the right thing WITHOUT the need of incentives. Hopefully we choose to display godly character from the pure motivation of pleasing our Father. (He does, by the way, notice our right choices, but the awards ceremony will come much later.)

Sometimes spiritual growth spurts catch our attention (like seeing a boy in pants that have grown too short for him.). Perhaps our prayer is STRETCHED to a new time frame. Or maybe we begin to experience more PASSION in the study of God’s Word. Our former longings for what the world offers are dimmed and we find our selfish appetite is being curbed by the Spirit’s natural suppressant. WE notice, and perhaps we look around to see if ANYONE ELSE is taking note of the tremendous changes that are occurring in our life. We may proudly display our own self-awarded certificate of achievement too soon in the process.

Getting back to the development of Christian Character at Olive Branch Christian Academy… It is quite possible for some child, who normally walks in selfishness, to perform one deed of kindness and be rewarded. In other words, awards can be deceptive just as the all-seeing, all-knowing wisdom of those who give them is limited. My point is this: you may be looking at your own spiritual walk and noting progress in prayer, Bible study and general spiritual appetite. You may be anticipating the applaud of your Heavenly Father, but if your spiritual maturity is not evidenced in the way you treat others, especially the weak and unlovely, on a daily basis, then the progress on your growth chart has been severely mis-measured. (Like when you hang a growth chart at the wrong distance from the floor and find all the measurements to be incorrect?)

Andrew Murray, in his book Humility, puts it this way:
What a solemn thought, that our love to God will be measured by our everyday intercourse with men and the love it displays; and that our love to God will be found to be a delusion, except as its truth is proved in standing the test of daily life with our fellow-men.

James, a pragmatic evaluator of spiritual maturity puts it this way: James 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Yikes! That means that no matter how “mature” I think I am, the real indicator of spiritual maturity is where the rubber meets the road. It’s seen in how we speak to our children, in how we react to unjust criticism, in the way we forgive those who take advantage of us, and in how we look out for others besides ourselves… especially those who cannot take care of themselves.

He’s is not done however with his evaluation process. He goes on to say this: James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.

Double yikes! There will probably not be any awards for the sarcastic way I have addressed my children on more than one occasion. In my own life this verse has provoked much pondering, much prayer and much confession. I am afraid that from a human standpoint I don’t feel up to the challenge of becoming a spiritual grown-up.. But God’s Word is a wonderful encouragement and it tells me that an “abiding” relationship with my Heavenly Father WILL produce fruit. That day after day of submitting to His will, asking for a cleansing from any sin His Spirit points out, and being constantly nourished on His Word will result in a natural increase in spiritual stature.

James 1:25 tells me that if I am constantly looking into God’s Word, like a mirror, and really doing what it says, not just glancing to fulfill some imagined requirement, that I will grow and find God’s blessing on my life.

James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the {law} of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

So today, on the playground of life, I will watch how I speak to others. I will take notice of those who are needing help and compassion I will stretch my roots down deep into an abiding relationship with Him, and trust that someday when I least expect it, I will find that my current spiritual clothing has grown too small. . One thing I know for sure: someday I will be standing before a cloud of witnesses, viewing God’s eternal archive of snapshots and hearing comments on His proudest moments of me. As He hands out the crown of life James mentions, I want to get mine and hear Him say “well done”.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

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