April 29, 2009
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Christian Maturity...
I recently taught a Bible study on discipleship and explained how our Christian development is actually quite similar to the development of a child into an adult. Here is a chart of the character, needs, and offerings of each developmental stage for humans...
Character
Needs
Offerings
Baby
Inwardly focused
Feeding, nurturing, lots of attention, diaper changes
Joy, beauty, cuteness
Child
Mainly focused inwardly
Provision, protection, guidance, discipline
Joy, serve in small things
Teenager
Crossroads: can turn out great or fall apart
Guidance but also a degree of trust, discipline, life experience
More responsibility can be taken
Adult
Serving, providing, leading
Purpose (work!), rest
Experienced, confident, able to serve
Elder
Background figure but important
Very little (unless health fails)
Wisdom, counsel
Usually when people first accept Christ and are new in the faith, they can be very inwardly focused. They want to receive as much as they can. They also usually require a fair amount of attention. As they develop, they are able to serve in small ways. Soon they learn to feed themselves and grow stronger. The development at the teenager stage is critical. This is when the Christian begins to serve and step out in faith. They need responsibility and a degree of trust, but also need mentors to watch in the background and guide and encourage them. If they are able to succeed and keep humble, they develop into a mature adult Christian. Now, like a responsible adult, they are able to aid those younger in faith and aid their development.
Sadly, too many Christians remain in the baby and child stages. They rely on their pastor or Bible study leader to nurture them. And if their pastor or Bible study leader leaves, they usually fall away because they are too weak to fight the enemy. A critical step needed to mature is learning to feed oneself in prayer and in the Word. And a critical mindset is desiring not just to receive simply for oneself, but to receive in order to bless others. With this mindset, a Christian can quickly mature in the faith. Our desire is for His will to be done and our desire is for His kingdom to come. Our ability to mature greatly escalates when we align our prayers in that way.
God bless!
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