How To Recognize a Spiritually Mature Person | Introduction (part 1)
Maturity takes time, you can't just put on the boots and go like I tried here.
The Man of Integrity (part 1) | Introduction
Recently, I have been evaluating my life based on some guidelines listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. These passages of scripture from Paul giving advise to Timothy and Titus can be a valuable list for testing a christians maturity level. The list is extensive and focuses not on skills and gifts, but physical and spiritual maturity in your morals, habits, temperament, reputation, and ethics. Every christian should strive for these qualities in their life.
In today’s society we have and want instant results. We want our food fast, our answers quick, our cars fast, our internet fast and the results in our life fast. Unfortunately there is no quick fix to becoming a mature person in Christ. It takes time and a lot of hard work, laborious work, to become a mature person of God. We must constantly be renewing our mind.
So, I have found that, although I have been a christian all my life, and have come from at least two generations of followers of God, I need to improve in some areas. I think that most everyone could say the same thing. We are human and will always battle against the mind of the flesh. I will run the race set before me to obtain the prize, not to get the T-shirt. I want the prize and so should you.
Here is the list:
- Blameless or above reproach
- Self-controlled, disciplined, self-denying
- Prudent
- Respectable
- Hospitable
- Able to teach
- Not given to much wine
- Not self-willed
- Not quickly angered
- Not quick to fight
- Not quick to argue
- Gentle
- Free from the love of money
- One who manages their household well
- A good reputation with those outside the church
- Lover of what is good
- Just
- Devout
This is a list of things we must grow in to be Christlike. These items are not to be confused with Spiritual Gifts, as I mentioned before, but these are traits that should be prevalent in your lifestyle.
This is a continual dying to self process. We must BEGIN the journey, if we haven’t already, by understanding each item in the list and then working moment by moment towards the goal of living them in our lives.
In the coming weeks, I am going to touch on each item in the list and discuss it. Please feel free to join the discussion by using the comments section of the blog post.
I think you hit this right on. You’re talking about the fruit of the Spirit, right? (Galations 5) The result of walking closely with God daily, dying to our own will and desires is that we bear fruit. Personally, I would much rather be with people who have much fruit in their character than people who have much “gifting” without maturity in Christ. Walking in the light and ~choosing~ to “put on” Christ is the only way I’ve found to be able to die to myself. The only way I’ve been able to grow in this has been by spending quiet time in prayer and in the word, just waiting on the Lord and listening to Him speak. It’s so simple, really – if we’re not attached to the vine we don’t bear fruit. So many times I think I know what I need to do and how I should do it that I haven’t spent time abiding and then wonder why I blow it… we just can’t do it on our own. Why do we try?