Topic : Mature, Maturity

Mark Devries, Family-Based Youth Ministry, (Downers Grove, IL, InterVarsity Press, 1994), p. 26

In The Last Days Newsletter, Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village who walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, "Were any great men born in this village"'

The old man replied, "Nope, only babies.'

A frothy question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes-whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. Growth takes time, and as 1 Timothy 3:6 and 5:22 point out, even spiritual leadership must be earned.

- William C. Shereos

Source unknown

The work of Japanese painter Hokusai spanned many years before his death in 1849 at age 89. But toward the end of his life, the artist dismissed as nothing all the work he had done before age 50. It was only after he reached 70 that he felt he was turning out anything worthy of note. On his deathbed Hokusai lamented, "If heaven had granted me five more years, I could have become a real painter.'

Today in the Word, September 16, 1992

C. S. Lewis, on the freedom of reaching maturity:When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that am 50, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things-including the fear of childishness and the desire to be grown-up.

Of Other World, Edited by Walter Hooper

Though many of us have seen pictures of a huge eagle's nest high in the branches of a tree or in the crag of a cliff, few of us have gotten a glimpse inside. When a mother eagle builds her nest she starts with thorns, broken branches, sharp rocks, and a number of other items that seem entirely unsuitable for the project. But then she lines the nest with a thick padding of wool, feathers, and fur from animals she has killed, making it soft and comfortable for the eggs. By the time the growing birds reach flying age, the comfort of the nest and the luxury of free meals make them quite reluctant to leave. That's when the mother eagle begins 'stirring up the nest.? With her strong talons she begins pulling up the thick carpet of fur and feathers, bringing the sharp rocks and branches to the surface. As more of the bedding gets plucked up, the nest becomes more uncomfortable for the young eagles. Eventually, this and other urgings prompt the growing eagles to leave their once-comfortable abode and move on to more mature behavior.

Today in the Word, June 11, 1989

A familiar Mother Goose rhyme goes:

PUSSY CAT, PUSSY CAT, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
I'vE BEEN TO LONDON TO VISIT THE QUEEN.
PUSSY CAT, PUSSY CAT, WHAT DID YOU THERE?
I FRIGHTENED A LITTLE MOUSE UNDER THE CHAIR.

Like that cat, Christians sometimes settle for petty involvements, trivial pursuits-chasing mice-when we have the opportunity to spend time with royalty, with the King! Instead of remaining content with minimum daily requirements, we can deepen our relationship with God and grow into maturity.

Source unknown

A while back on 'the Merv Griffin Show,? the guest was a body builder. During the interview, Merv asked "Why do you develop those particular muscles"? The body builder simply stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. "What do you use all those muscles for"? Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed, and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. "But what do you USE those muscles for"? Merv persisted. The body builder was bewildered. He didn't have an answer other than to display his well-developed frame. I was reminded that our spiritual exercises-Bible study, prayer, reading Christian books, listening to Christian radio and tapes-are also for a purpose. They're meant to strengthen our ability to build God's kingdom, not simply to improve our pose before an admiring audience.

Gary Gulbranson, Leadership, Summer, 1989, p. 43

In a national study of Protestant churches done in 1990, Peter Benson and Carolyn Eklin surveyed hundreds of people and distilled seven characteristics of a mature faith. You may not agree with everything on their list, but it's still instructive to look at their conclusions.

1. Trusts in God's saving grace and believes firmly in the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

2. Experiences a sense of personal well-being, security, and peace.

3. Integrates faith and life, seeing work, family, social relationships, and political choices as part of one's religious life.

4. Seeks spiritual growth through study, reflection, prayer, discussion with others

5. Seeks to be part of a community of believers who give witness to their faith and support and nourish one another.

6. Holds life-affirming values, including commitment to racial and gender equality, affirmation of cultural diversity, and a personal sense of responsibility for the welfare of others.

7. Serves humanity, consistently and passionately, through acts of love and justice.

Source unknown

Human beings grow by striving, working, stretching; and in a sense, human nature needs problems more than solutions. Why are not all prayers answered magically and instantly? Why must every convert travel the same tedious path of spiritual discipline? Because persistent prayer, and fasting, and study, and meditation are designed primarily for our sakes, not for God's. Kierkegaard said that Christians reminded him of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than work them through...We yearn for shortcuts. But shortcuts usually lead away from growth, not toward it. Apply the principle directly to Job: what was the final result of the testing he went through? As Rabbi Abraham Heschel observed, "Faith like Job's cannot be shaken because it is the result of having been shaken.?

Disappointment With God, Philip Yancey, Zondervan, pp. 207-8

• G. Collins, The Magnificent Mind, p. 97
• Charismatic Chaos, J. MacArthur, Jr., Zondervan, 1992, pp. 246ff

Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that.

But they won through step by step by little bits of wills little denials of self little inward victories by faithfulness in very little things.

They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken.

There is no sudden triumph no spiritual maturity. that is the work of the moment.

Quoted in Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, 1987, Word Books Publisher, p. 130

I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. He told me that one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark. He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium you put it in. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet.

That is like what happens to some Christians. I have seen some of the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. You can look at them and comment on how fine they are. But if you were to put them out into a larger arena-into the broad view of a whole creation'they might become great.

God help us not to be confined to a little puddle out of insecurity, but instead to see that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He made us, and if we will both have internal integrity and relate ourselves to the larger structures in the ways he has ordained, we will be able to serve him according to a holistic vision of his purpose on the earth.

Pastoral Renewal, February 1985, p. 111

Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. They live for the present. Those who are mature are deeply appreciative of those who labored in the past. They recognize those who labor during the present and provide for those who will be laboring in the future.

Contact, quoted in Homemade, December, 1984

• The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. - Chinese Proverb, New Man, March/April 1997, p. 18
• You're never too old to grow up. - Shirley Conran, Savages
• Strong sons of God are not perfected by childish pursuits. - David Breese, Living For Eternity, Moody Press, 1988, p. 78
• "If you stop and ask yourself why you are not so devoted as the (early) Christians, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.? - William Law, Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, Jon Johnston, 1990, Scripture Press Publications, p. 34.
• History is the record of an encounter between character and circumstance. - Donald Creighton, Towards the Discovery of Canada