It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
Recently I was riding in the car with one of my children in Anderson County. As we approached a bridge crossing over the interstate, I made some passing comment about I-85. I really didn’t think anything about it, but my child in the back seat did. After pondering my words for just a moment, they said, “Daddy, how do you know the names of so many interstates?” The question caught me a little off guard, so I said, “What do you mean?” They replied, “How do you know that is I-85? And you know the names of other interstates too; how do you know where they all are and which one is which?”
While I could have quickly replied, “Well, the red, white, and blue interstate marker right there on that giant sign with a huge eight and five on it is a pretty big clue that this is Interstate 85 we’re crossing over,” thankfully I exercised restraint from and avoided sarcasm. Instead I said, “Well, I have driven on a lot of interstates and I’ve learned where they are and where they run. I have driven pretty much the entire length of Interstate 85 North and South, and traveling around the country has allowed me to learn where other major roads are and where they run.” My child’s next words sealed the whole conversation for me, letting me know why they asked in the first place: “But Daddy, I didn’t even know this was I-85, so how could you have known?”
Ah, the reasoning of a child. Sometimes it baffles us as adults. What we chalk up to common understanding and universal logic completely escapes their thought processes. I am sure that I was guilty of jumping to similar conclusions about my parents when I was a child. Most likely I even went so far as to verbalize my juvenile reasoning as my child did to me. You see, those kinds of things are to be expected from children. That is just how they think and how they perceive the world. But, as they grow, those childish thought and behavior patterns should morph into greater levels of maturity with each passing year.
The same is true for us as children of God. As we develop in our walk with Christ, our thoughts and our actions should reflect an ever deepening, ever-growing maturity in Christ. There should be evidence in our lives that God is at work, moving us from the child-like selfishness we possessed as a non-believer or early Christian into a sacrificial, submissive lifestyle as a more experienced and responsible believer. Just as physical and mental growth is a sign of health for our earthly children, so spiritual growth is a sign of health for the children of God.
While there are many quantifiable ways to check how a believer is doing in the arena of spiritual growth, here are just a few that you can use to do a quick self-examination:
- An ability to control your tongue and mouth, keeping a reign on the words you speak. (Being a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker).
- Showing patience.
- Hearing, reading, meditating, and applying the Word of God to your life.
- Letting go of a materialistic, “everything is mine” attitude and giving sacrificially to God with time, talents, and money.
- Choosing not to have a negative, bitter attitude, and yielding past and present hurts to God for His use and purpose.
- Getting out of our comfort zones and sharing the love of Jesus with others.
Spiritual maturity involves a willingness on our part to trust God. We must recognize that God is in the process of making us more like Himself, using the circumstances of our lives to refine us and shape us into the nature of His character.We must be willing to stay yielded to that process, not resistant, thereby allowing God to work in us and through us as we sacrificially submit to His plan for our lives.
One of the most pleasing sounds to my ear as a parent is to hear my children respectfully say, “Yes, sir,” when I ask them to do something. Their polite compliance to my request is a sign of maturity to me; it is a barometer of their heart. Our “Yes, sir,” also pleases God when He calls us to obedience. Our immediate, respectful, and even cheerful willingness to trust and follow Him is a sign of our confidence in Him. It lets Him know how much He means to us and that we’re growing up in our relationship with Him.
Prayer
Father, so many times I have acted like I know better than You what is right for my life. I have reasoned like a child and failed to recognize Your Sovereignty. I know my resistance to You has only stifled the process of spiritual growth in my life, and I want to change that. Please forgive me for the temper tantrums and pouting and help me be more consistent in my obedience and trust in You.
I want to help other people grow in their walk with You, and stop stumbling so much in my own. Please help me to do that. Help me to move from selfishness to sacrifice, from thinking all about me to thinking about others, and to throw away my “high chair” and let You keep Your rightful place on the throne of my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.