Age and Maturity

Wish me a happy birthday!  I’m not afraid to say it. Sixty-three years young today!  I remember, and it seems not so long ago, that sounded old. It was old!  Poor people. Already one foot in the grave.  When I was fifteen, twenty-five, and even forty, sixty seemed so old.  Did people that age even have a reason to live? 

            Now I look back at that time and I wonder, “How did that guy even have the wisdom to get in from the rain?”  I don’t know everything, and I never will. But I have learned much about life and myself through the years. 

            It’s funny. Folks have asked me, “Where did you grow up?” and when she’s been there my wife has replied, “He hasn’t yet.”  She’s so sweet. 

            But let’s be honest. I know it’s a male thing, but many of us do maintain a bit of immaturity in our lives. Recently my brother-in-law and I sat and watched a recording of a Bill Engvall comedy concert.  We laughed until our bellies hurt.  Our wives rolled their eyes and left us to it. And we enjoyed every minute of it.

            There is a great need for maturity in the Christian life.  In 1 Corinthians 3:2 Paul lamented that he wanted to feed his readers meat, but they could only take milk, indicating they were not mature. And the author of Hebrews tells us to, “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.” 

            Here’s the thing. God wants us to grow in our faith. He wants us to be more loving today than we were last year. He wants us to be more faithful, more godly, and more holy than we were last year. 

            Growing stronger in the faith is not automatic. We must take spiritual nourishment, and exercise our spiritual muscles in order to grow. That means we need to read our Bibles, pray, and worship regularly. We also need to serve and minister to others.  All of these activities can lead us to greater maturity.

            Too often we compare ourselves to each other. A better practice is to compare your today self with who you were last year, and even before then.

            Are you more faithful, loving, and holy than you were last year? Are you growing in your faith? I pray that we all will grow in our relationship to the Lord.