How Do We Measure Spiritual Maturity?

While celebrating my birthday not long ago, I found myself surprised. I am already approaching 40 years old! Before long I will also celebrate my 15th spiritual birthday. Time passes so quickly.

Physically, of course, I can see the changes in myself. But what about my spiritual life? Fifteen years is not a short time. Have I become more spiritually mature? How do we measure spiritual maturity?

As I thought about the answers to those questions, I began looking for what the Bible says about spiritual maturity. I found several verses that helped me evaluate myspirituality. Perhaps these indicators are not a complete measure of a person's spiritual maturity. I also believe that each person's spiritual maturity cannot be generalized.

However, the Bible has quite a lot to say about spiritual maturity. The following are some verses that can help us measure spiritual maturity.

1. Am I growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord? (2 Peter 3:18)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Perhaps in our worldly thinking, becoming mature means becoming more independent and not relying on others. But in spiritual growth, it is actually the opposite. How can we know the Lord more deeply? Surely by walking with Him every day. The more we depend on Him, the more we will know Him.

The same is true of grace. Through so many failures on the journey of becoming His disciple, I have learned to receive the Lord's Lord'sgrace. The Lord's Lord's love for me does not change, whether I live in holiness or when I fall into sin.

Experiencing the Lord's Lord's great grace has also taught me to give it to others. When can we grow in grace? When we can forgive others and give a new chance to those who disappoint us. We also need to learn to give grace to ourselves. When we experience failure, we do not need to sink into self-pity or lose the faith to rise again.

2. Am I growing in the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23)

But the fruit of the Spirit is: love,, joy,, peace,, patience,, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

When talking about spiritual maturity, it is often said that we should become more and more like Jesus. How do we know whether we are becoming more like Jesus? We can use the fruit of the Spirit to evaluate ourselves. All the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in the verse above was present in Jesus.

Am I growing more in love? Do I love my parents? What about my enemies? Do I feel peaceful and at rest? Or do worldly things still make me anxious? Have I become more patient with my child, wife, or husband? Am I increasingly able to exercise self-control in area A, B, or C?

Perhaps we will never reach perfection in all these things. But if we do not stop growing, next year we will be better than we are now. Five years from now, ten years from now, we will surely be more spiritually mature. So, are we growing in the fruit of the Spirit right now?

3. Am I prioritizing unity in the church? (Philippians 2:2-4)

...complete my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or empty praise. Rather, in humility let each one consider others more important than himself; and let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Unity in the church can only be achieved when people become more spiritually mature. One of the most common causes of division I encounter is when people think more about themselves. When people feel it is important to be recognized as being right. When people think more about their own feelings than the feelings of others. Or when people feel they must receive attention.

It is indeed not easy to put others first. It takes maturity to humble ourselves and prioritize the interests of others. But when we are able to deny ourselves, that is where we pass the test of spiritual maturity.

For the church to function as the Lord designed it, we must be united. So, are we taking part in the Lord's plan, or taking our own way?

4. Do I speak, feel, and think like an adult? (1 Corinthians 13:11)

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I felt like a child, I thought like a child. Now that I have become an adult, I have put away childish ways.

In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul often rebukes the immature attitudes of the Corinthian church. Because they were too self-centered and attached to their own opinions, many disputes arose among them. Children often quarrel over small things. They often fight over something and want to be put first. Because their brains are not yet fully developed, it is hard for children to control their emotions .

Sadly, we who are adults are also still often like children. Even though we already know what is right and what we should do. Maturity is when we are able to manage and understand our emotions . When we are able to control our words, feelings, and thoughts, that is when we can be called spiritually mature.

5. Am I like a child in evil? (1 Corinthians 14:20)

Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but mature in your thinking!

It turns out that one of the marks of spiritual maturity is being childlike in evil! Children do not have evil intentions in their hearts. Usually what they do is only mischief and disobedience. They are innocent and inexperienced in evil.

One day, I was looking for a missing make-up palette from my cabinet. It was not hard for me to find it shattered under the sofa. Someone had tried to hide it, but could not push it far enough so I would not see it. My 3-year-old child had been playing with it and accidentally dropped it. When I called my child afterward, my child looked frightened and apologized sincerely.

Adults are capable of devising evil in ways that cause tremendous damage and suffering. But children are not. Usually, they learn their lesson once they know the consequences of their sins. When we see sin today, do we run away from it? Do we sincerely apologize and feel afraid when we fall into sin? We have a most loving Father, who will forgive us when we come with a sincere heart.

6. Do I have a heart overflowing with gratitude? (Colossians 2:7)

Let yourselves be rooted in Him and built up in Him, be established in the faith that you were taught, and let your hearts overflow with gratitude.

Life does not always go well. Life is often not even fair. We do not always get what we want, and we often fail in our efforts. But spiritual maturity is being grateful for what we have already received from the Lord. We measure by what we already have, not by what we do not have.

As stated by the word above, the faith we have in Christ will make usgrateful. Today, whatever is happening in our lives, let us look one by one at what the Lord has given and done in our lives. When our hearts overflow with gratitude, one or even many bad events will not steal our joy . So, do we have hearts that are increasingly overflowing with gratitude?

Spiritual maturity is an ongoing process that will not stop until we die. But unlike physical growth, spiritual maturity is about decisions and commitment. We must keep deciding to grow and commit to doing our part. And believe this, when the Lord does His part, the result will be extraordinary!

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Related Articles:

• Building Togetherness in Community
• Giving Thanks in the Midst of Rain
• The Importance of Self-Awareness in Spiritual Life
• Do Not Underestimate a Selfish Nature
• Fruit Never Lies – Galatians 5:22-23

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