How can I reach spiritual maturity?
Psalm 32:8The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
Psalm 92:12The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
Psalm 111:10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
Jeremiah 17:7-8“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Ephesians 3:17Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Colossians 2:7Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
2 Peter 3:18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Jude 1:20-21You, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
Reading Scripture and prayer are the first and most important steps toward spiritual maturity. Because God is the source of all wisdom, he is the ultimate source for what we need to grow. We should model our lives after Jesus and seek wisdom from that source.
Joshua 1:1-2After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.”
Mature spiritual mentors can help us grow and mature in our faith, as well as in everyday life. We should look for those who are several stages ahead of us in life, who have weathered many experiences, and who exemplify godliness. We can ask them to help us mature in faith and life. They probably will be honored and eager to help.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?
1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
Hebrews 6:1-3So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.
Spiritual growth is like physical growth—we start small and immature and grow up, one day at a time, gaining in wisdom and maturity. Along the way we need to practice what we have learned. We cannot remain on our backs all day if we wish to learn to crawl, and walk, and run. We must exercise our spiritual muscles, growing in the experience of following God. There is always more to learn about God and always more to be experienced in following him.
