What is Spiritual Maturity?

Sneak Peak: There is no cheat code out of reading the Bible.

I’m More Spiritually Mature

I was in a women’s group at my church. Our leader mentioned how a man’s spiritual life may not be the same as ours. One woman asked, “What if I’m more spiritually mature than him?” Another group I’m active in, another woman asked the same thing, “What if I’m more spiritually mature than my husband?” She said this right in front of her husband! Yikes! I usually hear the concept of spiritual maturity in dating, but what about our relationship with Christ?

Also, it’s not just women who ask this. Men have the same concern, too. They want to learn, but are unsure how. There are even sermons about this topic. We can debate about the reasons why men are falling short, but I’m not here for that. I’m here to hold us accountable in our own walk with Christ. Let’s begin with what isn’t spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Maturity is Not…

It is not spiritual complacency. Spiritual complacency is being comfortable with where you are. It’s telling yourself to not get involved with church because you’re okay sitting in the back and leaving. It’s not being lazy. Laziness is not wanting to grow into what God has called you to be because it’s work. It’s not about your spiritual age. You can be a Christian your whole life and lack spiritual maturity. It’s not about comparing your walk with someone else’s. If one person likes to read the Bible in the morning and the other person prefers to do it in the evening, what’s the issue? Also, spiritual maturity isn’t a one and one. You are always growing with Christ.

Wait, What?

Yes, despite what people have told you. Spiritual maturity is an individual growth process. Spiritual maturity is about seeking understanding, applying God’s word, and growing—nonstop. Actually, none of us will truly be 100% spiritually mature. We all have our immature ways. However, you can make an effort to grow and to follow Him. This is what God wants to see in all of us.

Your parents can’t make you spiritually mature. Your friends can’t make you spiritually mature. Your spouse can’t make you spiritually mature. Your partner can’t make you spiritually mature. Yes, these people can influence you to either become more mature, or to fall short. Yes, the people you surround yourself around does matter.

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

However, you have to want it. You have to want to pray. You have to want to read the Bible. You have to want to go to church. You have to want fellowship with other believers. You have to want to learn your spiritual gift. You have to want to activate your spiritual gift. You have to want to do the work to change the old you. You have to want to treat others with the fruits of the spirit. God can call you, but you have to accept the call. What I do know is this, if you run away from God, you become everyone else’s headache. Read about Jonah in the Bible and see what happens when you run. Now, let’s check out some signs of spiritual maturity.

Sign of Spiritual Maturity #1: Seeking Christ and His Word

Have you ever met a student that studied just to pass an exam? Maybe this is, or was, you. The student passes the exam, but when they go to work, they’re clueless. Why? They studied for memorization, but not for application. I grew up in the church. I had Bible class to memorize scriptures. I’m not joking. We had to write scriptures down word for word—in King James Version. You passed by getting every “thou” “thee” and “art” in the correct order. I passed Bible class, but I failed to understand what the Bible meant.

Christianity was about passing an exam to me. When I turned 18, and left the house, I was exposed to the real world. I didn’t have my mother making sure I went to church. I didn’t have my pastor calling me to check in on me. I was alone. When you are alone, Satan attacks you the most. I had some unresolved anger from my days in my childhood church, so I decided to leave the faith.

I still believed in God, but he was on the backburner. I partied. A lot. At one point, I had a reputation for it on my campus. I only prayed to God when I needed something. I knew scripture through memory, but I didn’t understand it, nor did I apply it in my life.

I started going to my friend’s church my senior year in college. Still, I knew scripture. I sang during worship. I even spent time with the ministers. After church? I was another person. This isn’t to say we’re perfect. Nobody is, but if you’re making an effort to change, that is what God wants to see. I didn’t put in effort because I didn’t care. It’s that simple. We can make excuses. The reality is, we just don’t care to change. I’m going to reference Hebrews 5:13 to break down what understanding means. Understanding isn’t the same as memorization.

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness (Hebrews 5:13 NIV).

Let’s talk about babies. When babies are born, they need a mother’s milk to eat and survive. Milk is easy to digest and flows throughout their bodies. When babies get older, their bodies need food. They begin to eat applesauce and yogurt. When babies become teenagers, they need food to grow. Imagine giving a teenager some formula. That’s my point. When you were a baby, your body could only digest milk. When you become an adult, you’re craving burgers and tacos. Actually, our bodies cannot digest milk once we’re adults. This is why we have “lactose intolerance” and milk alternatives now.

When you are in an infantile stage, you may know that God loves you, but you neglect to get familiar with Him and understand scripture. If someone asked you to provide more context about the Bible, you wouldn’t be able to explain it. Some of us may be new to Christianity and still learning, others are going back into the faith, and still are learning about the Bible. What God loves to see is that you are seeking Him and making an effort. However, if you do not get familiar with the word, you will listen to whatever someone tells you—even when it’s not true. This is why you can meet someone who has been a Christian for 50 years, and not know much about the scripture. They are still an infant. You can know God, but you have to learn the word. There is no cheat code out of reading the Bible.

What Can You Do?

I use a prayer journal to write my prayers down. I also bought a Bible. I read from the New International Version. I also purchased Bible study guides to help me learn more. I started a schedule to read devotionals in the mornings and a scripture a day. When I had questions, I asked my former pastor, a mentor, my mother, or friends, who were hungry to learn the word. It helps to have a community of believers who are encouraging you to keep going. I didn’t find this community right away. It took me years to find people. What if you haven’t found your tribe yet? Get connected! Join small groups at churches, or Christian networking groups.

You might like podcasts better—great! You may want an auditory Bible. Sweet. Do what works best for you. How I learned may not be how you learn. We are different learners. You don’t need to be a Bible whiz. You may not know every little word. What matters is that you are seeking to understand the word and staying in sync with the Lord.

Sign of Spiritual Maturity #2: Applying Scripture in Your Life

You can meet a Christian that memorizes the Bible, the footnotes, has a 100% proficiency in King James Version, goes to church every Sunday, involved in church, yet their walk is weak. They sing “Praise the Lord!” Then, the next minute, they’re speaking badly about a new member in the church because her skirt wasn’t down to her ankles. They can quote scriptures, but speak poorly about another Christian with a different view. They know not to get drunk on wine, but they come to church hung over every Sunday. Worse, they take their drinking issue at home and beat on their spouse, or spend their rent at the bar. Why is this the case?

Familiarity is one thing, but application is another. Walking with Jesus isn’t about complacency. It’s about growth. You need to be uncomfortable sometimes to get to the next level. My mom uses the analogy of Christians who sit at home. They are like a car. They could have potential, but they hide it. Cars in a garage are hidden, not on the road. When you know God and the word, but you aren’t applying it, you are hiding what God has called you to be.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14 NIV).

Remember, when babies become adults, they need solid food to survive. Christians have to train themselves constantly to use discernment. It is constant. It isn’t a one and done. You have to constantly apply scripture in your life. You have to keep yourself up to date sometimes by re-reading a scripture or two. But, let’s go further.

When I began to grow with Christ, my discernment game had to increase. There were times He’d call me to do something, but it took months to get the answer. Sometimes, it wasn’t a supernatural sign, or a burning bush talking to me. There were times I needed to fast before applying what was needed. Sometimes, God seemed quiet. There were other seasons when there were two opportunities and I had to discern the best one through prayer and applying scripture.

What Can You Do?

How do you apply scripture? Simple. You have to do it. Sometimes, we don’t like doing things because we don’t feel like it. If we based our decisions out of feelings, then imagine how many things wouldn’t get done?

“I don’t feel like going to work.” But you have bills to pay.

“I don’t feel like going to church.” But you could be missing out on a good word (or your spouse *cough cough*).

“I don’t feel like grocery shopping.” But you need food in the house.

“I don’t feel like hanging out with people.” But you complain how nobody likes you. Ouch.

“I don’t feel like working out.” But your doctor warned you about your health.

We may not feel like being a Christian some days. There may be times when you want to do some things that would make Jesus roll his eyes. However, we are called to be different. Let’s be real, the world hates people who are different. Ironically, in the U.S., we embrace individualism, yet we also mock people who aren’t doing what’s “normal”. Imagine how many looks I get when I tell people I don’t have personal social media accounts. The judgements are real. The thing is, you m

ay not feel like applying scripture, but you need to, so you can know what is and isn’t for you. It takes time because doing something new means change.

What are some ways you can apply scripture in your life? I’d love to know in the comments. Remember, I like to keep my page positive, clean, and truthful with scripture.

Also, feel free to join my Instagram, too!