The Quest for Spiritual Maturity

My friends, I pray all is well.

Today, I woke up with thanksgiving in my heart. I looked out the window and what a beautiful day I saw! I had no idea that God was preparing me for fellowship with a friend. She came over to deliver me some products I had ordered and one thing led to another, next thing I know we were sitting around the counter sharing testimonies and praising God. The Spirit showed up in our midst. I thank God for using me to share my testimony with others, to tell my story of how good God has been to me, despite what my enemies have tried to do to me, despite the struggles that come my way, despite the ups and downs that come in living in this world where a lot of my brothers and sisters are still not listening to Him.

She said, "Therese, there have been times I know you were going through some things, but you always kept that smile and always had a good word to share". When she said that I started praising God because what that tells me is that I am becoming spiritually mature. That's what I am striving for, spiritual maturity. I thank God that His light in shining in and through me. Hebrews 5:13-14 say, "Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and knows nothing about right teaching. But solid food is for those who are grown up. They are mature enough to know the difference between good and evil. (New Century Version)

As we continued sharing, I clearly heard my pastor's, Rev. Dr. Williams, voice replaying in my head, "spiritual maturity allows us to walk in forgiveness; it has to do with how we handle the folk we hurt and those who hurt us; spiritual maturity has to do with loving people at the level God wants us to love them, the way He expects us to love them." Rev. Williams said that we are not spiritually mature when we cannot hold our friends accountable to doing what is right. He asked, "how can we claim to love God, yet we hold grudges and seek to tear others down?" (Looking For Friends In All The Wrong Places, 5/30/10)

My friends, we should be striving for spiritual maturity. I tell you, we are blocking our blessings when we hold grudges and when we try to bring down our brothers and sisters. We are still feeding on milk when we cannot ask God to forgive us of our sins and to forgive those who do wrong against us. We are still feeding on milk when we hear the Word but turn our backs, we are still feeding on milk when we hear but do not do what God wants us to do.

We can gain spiritual maturity by practicing what the Word tells us to do; doing what God wants us to do. We get spiritually mature when we study God's Word and the Spirit brings us understanding so that we can go out and practice and teach what we have studied. Spiritual maturity comes when we let the Spirit rule in our lives.
I just thank God that He is walking with me each day as I strive for spiritual maturity. I know one thing, I cannot do God's will if I stay as a babe in Christ, feeding on milk. Lord, please let me be a doer of your Word, please let me discern what is good and what is evil, please let your Spirit rule and abide in me, in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless.
Therese from Belize