Christians, recently I was in a retail store. I was in the garden area swinging on a piece of patio furniture, relaxing. I was watching an employee help an elderly gentleman. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large man throw a big double bag of charcoal from his shoulder and storm off. The clerk said to him, “that was uncalled for…” His reply was, “you have four registers right here!” The clerk tried to explain that there was no cashier. The man left and the woman continued to help the elderly man and pick up the charcoal when she was done.
I thought to myself, “what did I just see?” Then God gave me the revelation that “Everyone Ages, Not Everyone Matures.” The Holy Spirit then showed me that although this man appeared to be in his thirties, he was having a temper tantrum like a five year old child. I thought about other instances where I had seen people do crazy things, flip out, act up and before I thought they were crazy, but God showed me these people lack maturity.
This man didn’t want to walk inside to pay, he didn’t have the patience to ask the lady about the registers being open or not. He wanted it his way on his time and when that did not happen, he melted down like a five year old. Why is this so important to know?
When we interact with people, we need to be aware that someone could be thirty, fifty, or seventy years by age, but in maturity, wisdom, self control they could act like they are 3, 5, 10, 16 years old, etc. True marks of maturity come from God, the fruits of maturity are the fruits of the spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control [Galatians 5:22]. If they do not exhibit these mature fruits, check out the fruits of the sinful nature in Galatians 5:19*.
People need God to mature; both young (spiritually immature) Christians and older (spiritually mature) Christians. Your maturity all depends on how well you face tests and trials of many kinds. The difference is that the mature Christians will handle trials and stresses, mistreatment and hard times with the fruits of the Spirit.
Have mercy on those who you meet who exhibit immature behavior (especially non-believers), we were all once there. Encourage them, encourage those they offend. Never resort to immature name-calling or demeaning behavior in your interactions, and if you do, be quick to apologize and let them know that is not how you should have acted and you know better. Pray for the fruit of maturity to become prevalent in your life and their life, in Jesus name, Amen.
*The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. Ephesian 4:11-15 (NLT) (emphasis added)
written and posted by Daniel Poggensee | 2016
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