Where are you at in your faith journey?
The Path to Spiritual Maturity
What does it mean to be spiritually mature? For many, spiritual maturity is marked by checking boxes – reading your Bible for 15 minutes every day, attending a church service once a week, praying before meals. While these practices are beneficial, true spiritual maturity goes much deeper.
Spiritual maturity is not instantaneous. Just as we grow and mature physically from infancy to adulthood, our faith must also grow over time. We start with spiritual milk – the basics – and gradually progress to spiritual meat as we exercise our faith “muscles” and develop spiritual discernment.
Where are you at in your spiritual growth journey? Are you able to clearly explain foundational Christian beliefs to a new believer? Could you guide someone who was questioning their faith or uncertain about following Jesus? Do you live out your faith confidently in all areas of life? If not, don’t be discouraged! Recognize where you’re at and take steps to grow.
Cultivating spiritual maturity requires intentional effort. It won’t happen by accident or osmosis. To grow, we must be willing to move beyond our comfort zones, take risks, and engage actively with God and others. What specific actions can you take to pursue greater maturity? Here are some suggestions:
1. Identify a mature believer to learn from. Seek out someone more seasoned in the faith who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit. Ask them questions, observe how they apply their faith, and request their guidance when facing decisions.
2. Build relationships with peers who spur you on. Surround yourself with brothers and sisters in Christ who challenge you to go deeper spiritually. Share struggles openly, confess faults, rejoice together, and stir one another to godliness.
3. Invest in a new believer. Whether a new Christian or someone still exploring faith,commit to walking alongside them. Answering their questions will strengthen your foundations. And nurturing their spiritual growth will enhance your own.
4. Immerse yourself in Scripture. Read the Bible daily, not just to check off a box, but to know Christ more intimately. Pray passages back to God. Memorize key verses. Ask the Spirit to teach and transform you through the Word.
5. Learn to rest in God’s presence. Unplug regularly to sit at Jesus’ feet. Still your heart before him, releasing expectations and to-do lists. Receive his unconditional love. Be refreshed and filled up.
6. Put faith into practice through serving. Look for everyday opportunities to live out godly principles you’re learning. Exercise spiritual discernment in real-world situations. Let your growing maturity shine.
7. Persevere through trials. When facing pain and opposition, resist shortcuts that compromise faith. Press into Jesus and his sufficiency. Emerging through struggles will deepen maturity.
Spiritual infants crave only milk. But mature believers acquire a taste for meat – the richness of God’s word applied robustly in daily life. What step can you take today toward greater maturity? How will you nurture spiritual vitality that equips you to pass on vibrant faith to others? Jesus perfectly modeled sacrificial love and spiritual wisdom. As we walk closely with him, we too can grow into maturity that embraces the high calling of following Christ every day, everywhere.