Maturity From the Heart

We are too often corrupted. Not even by things that are overtly corrupting. It comes from those things that are meant for in more youthful times. We are to seek maturity and not chase after our youth and those things that of our youthful time.

“²²So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” – 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

When young, we seek things of youth. We look for fun and enjoyment in the moment. And when the moment passes, we move on to the next moment. We are limited in responsibility and therefore, those moments get in the way less often than when we are in a more mature season of life. Don’t get me wrong, we should be seeking enjoyment and joy in our lives. I am not advocating for no fun or living in the moment. We should however be grounded in maturity and seeking more sustainable joy and enjoyment.

As we see in the verse above, Paul guides Timothy to those joys and enjoyment that are of a more mature way. “Righteousness, faith, love, and peace” are where we should be seeking that joy and enjoyment. These are the more mature attributes, and we will find stability and comfort in them. There is more depth to them and more thought that comes with them. They are found deep inside us and are guided from, yes you guessed it, the heart. It is from our heart, where the LORD dwells, that we find the more lasting and mature things in life.

As we grow, we not only grow in size and age, but we should be growing in maturity as well. We should be pursuing those things that come with maturity such as those listed by Paul to Timothy. We are to grow up find the LORD in our heart and allow Him to guides us forward through the Holy Spirit. We are to find our joy and enjoyment in seeking the LORD and all that He has to offer in our lives.

And for those who ask what about the fun of our youth, where does that fit. Well, it still fits and should be a part of our lives, only we are not to seek after them and if/when they taking over our focus, we are to run from them. The word Paul uses above is to “flee” or run away from those things that are not building us up in the LORD. We will find ourselves in moments of youthful fun, and we should enjoy our time in those moments, yet they should be just that in our lives, just moments. As we grow in maturity, those moments are no longer “passions” but just moments of enjoyment that we find along our path with the LORD.

Where are you spending your time? Are you seeking out continually the passions of your youth? What if you were to flee from those and sought out the maturity that comes from the LORD, righteousness, faith, love, and peace that He has in your heart where He abides?

Spiritual Leadership Takes Time

It is interesting to see people as they are just getting started in a role and how they change over time. Those that learn from experiences, whether those are successes or failures, are those who the greatest movement is witnessed.

As for spiritual leadership, the same is true. Growing in spiritual maturity and into the spiritual leader does not generally come once one is found in the new role. Sure, there is excitement and action taken by the new Christian, but excitement and action should not be confused with maturity and leadership.

Paul’s conversion was a turning point in his life and in the life of the spread of the gospel. It was a dramatic event and had a profound impact on the man, Paul. Yet, as strong a leader he was before his conversion, it would be 10-15 years before he would make his first missionary journey. Again demonstrating that it takes time to grow into spiritual maturity and leadership.

Abraham started his life as a worshiper of the moon, yet was chosen by God to be the father of all nations. It certainly did not happen overnight, for it was 25 years after God told him his wife would give him a son that it actually happened. As Richard and Henry Blackaby write, “Abraham did not being his life as a paragon of faith, but gradually over many years, he developed a mature and deep relationship with God.”

We have to wait and learn from the LORD and devote ourselves fully to Him and He will create in us the spiritual leader we are to become. It is our heart devotion and not just our outward appearances. It is important that we are devoted to the LORD and give all of ourselves to Him and trust that He will provide that which is needed when it is needed.

“⁹For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9 (ESV)

Asa reigned in Judah and was by biblical account was good;

“2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.” – 2 Chronicles 14:2 (ESV)

Yet, as Asa did not give himself fully to God, with His heart, he found himself out of the safe favor of the LORD. He was a leader, yes, but he was not the leader that led with the help and guidance of the LORD, and there He found himself missing out.

Spiritual Leadership takes time and is something to be developed over that time with our heart set on God. We may have been given leadership roles, it is likely that we are not the leaders we are meant to be, yet. We have to now ensure that we have given all of ourselves to the LORD and over time He will make us the spiritual leader He intends for us.

What is your view on becoming a leader? Once you have the role have you somehow arrived? What if you look at it as just the beginning of the journey, devote your whole self to the LORD and allow Him to develop you into the spiritual leader He has in store for you?

Overcome Through Maturity

Accepting Christ as my savior was great and certainly needed in my life, yet this is only the first step in overcoming the evil one. This morning I am in 1 John and have been reminded of the stages of Christian maturity.

“¹²I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

¹³I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

¹⁴I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.”

– 1 John 2:12-14 (ESV)

First, you have the “children” who have just learned of Christ and are beginning their relationship with Him. They have no history with Him and only now have opened their eyes and are on the journey to spiritual maturity. This can be the young or the older that have found Christ as their savior.

Second, you have the “fathers” who have been in the faith for some time and are fully comfortable as they work through the world. These know that Christ is in control and have dedicated themselves to His mission in their lives each day for some time. Again, this does not have to be the older, but those who have spent valuable time with Christ for some time.

Third, you have the “young men” who have been learning in their relationship with Christ, and yet still find persecution at every turn. They are building their strength in Christ and every day will grow stronger and stronger to overcome the evil one. These again may be youthful or older, but they are in the growing phase of maturity.

The further along we get in our maturity, the more fluid will be our strength to overcome. It does not mean that we will not face persecution or challenges as the evil one is around every corner. It is the light of the LORD in us that will overcome the darkness and keep the evil one at bay. It is our maturity in Christ through His Word as we meditate on it day and night that gives us the strength and wisdom to overcome. Whether you are the “little child”, the “father”, or the “young man” it is always the time to continue in our growth to and into maturity in Christ through His Word.

“¹Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

²but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.”

— Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV)

Where are you finding your strength to overcome the evil one? Are you looking to yourself and believe that you have already arrived with the strength? What if you were to realize that you are still maturing and should look to continued growth and maturity through God’s Word?