A Call to Maturity

When a baby is born, the baby is expected to grow, going through the milestones at the expected age and time. When a child that ought to be walking is still crawling, then there is a problem. God arranges situations that will cause you to realize your state in Him and make you grow (mature) in Him. Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.” A child has a peculiar way of behaviour and is not penalized for doing things peculiar to his age but when he ought to be behaving like a man he begins to act like a child – not a good sight to behold. Unfortunately, so many children of God are in matured (physical) bodies but childish towards the things of God! What manner of person are you since you came to the Lord? Are you still childish in your attitude and behaviour towards the things of the Kingdom? How much of the word of God that you have come to know has impacted your life? Or, all you are interested in is your stomach and reputation? A child does childish things but a man puts such aside and moves on to mature things. Maturity is not in a number but in the manner of your response to what you hear, see and feel! The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 loved God and had been keeping His commands since he was a child. Very commendable – a man without fault, Peter and the other disciples would have thought! Alas, Jesus Christ told him those commands made him enter into life. Now, what does that mean? The Bible tells us in John 1:4 “Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.” When we come into Christ, we take on His life but He expects us to move on to perfection which is His character. The Bible tells us that God is perfect and we must attain this as well, there is no short-cut to this. Unfortunately, so many want to bear His name but care less for His character. Jesus told the young man to go sell everything that will limit or continue to limit him from attaining this height and come and be His follower (disciple). It was a call to rise above the milk stage to begin to eat meat. It is not enough to have an outward show of what we believe in without inner fruits. He was childish in his faith to think that with his credentials (looks, speech and actions) it was enough to bribe God. God is not looking for people with childish faith but people with childlike faith – open to Him to pour His totality into them. People that are not squeamish about sin but will confront it head-on in the security of their faith in Christ Jesus. The young man was not set to sell the things that were limiting him from being like Christ so he returned to darkness. Friend, when we refuse to draw close on a daily basis to the Light of the world, we must be very careful as the light we believe we carry may have turned into darkness. It is time to leave childish (bread and butter) and ignorant ways and move into childlike faith (maturity). “Therefore, get your minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” God bless you.