Read Ephesians 4: 11 - 16 today.
We live in a culture enamored with youth and everything young. Watch the commercials on TV right now. For women: get rid of facial lines and gray hair and extra pounds. I don't want those things!! How about you? For men: comb out the gray, have the hair implants, take whatever medications necessary to revisit youth and vigor. Is that so bad? Only when we get obsessive about it ... when we can think of nothing else.
In Amy Grant's early career, she recorded a song titled: "Fat Little Baby". It has to do with growing spiritually. The point is, fat little babies are so precious when they are 3 or 6 or 9 months old. Fat little babies are not so cute when they are 30 or 50 years old! Do you remember Peter Pan's song ... "I won't grow up, I won't grow up, I don't wanna go to school ..."
What did you learn about maturity in these few verses we read today? Did you notice that IT IS THE GOAL!! Being a youthful Christian is not the goal. Listen to the words ... "until we ALL attain ... to a mature man ... fullness of Christ ... no longer children ... grow up in all aspects into Him" The Greek word that is translated mature is teleios. This word refers to a thing being "brought to its end, finished; a thing that lacks nothing necessary for completeness."
The goal for us individually as well as for us as a church is to grow up - to mature. It is the same sense that we hear from Paul in Philippians 1:6 "... being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." That is why God gifts individuals with spiritual gifts in the church ... to help us grow up. That's why He knits us together in community ... to help us grow up. I believe "walking worthy" also indicates the Christ-follower is on the road to maturity, to growing up with absolutely no desire to stay "forever young".
So - the questions begin to tumble out. Are you growing up? Do you see yourself more mature as a Christian this year than last? What makes you think yes or no? What do you think it means to grow up as a Christian? Do you know any Christians you would describe as mature? Why do you describe them that way? What does a mature church look like? What is she doing?
I can ask considerably more questions about this than I can answer!
I wonder ... perhaps it has everything to do with what we read at the beginning of Chapter 4. Perhaps becoming mature in Christ has everything to do with walking in humility ... with walking in meekness ... with developing patience ... with learning to be tolerant of people because of love. Perhaps our churches mature as they practice these very character traits.
Pray for yours as you pray for yourself along these lines ... I am praying for mine!
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