Maturity

The Lord has been guiding me to read the first epistle of Peter in this season of contemplation. I've found much encouragement from it. One of the key questions I felt the Lord was asking in my spirit is, "Have you matured in me?". As the question sank in and as I reflected upon my personal spiritual growth, I had to come before the Lord and confessed that I have not matured as much I could and should have simply because I've somewhat lost that passion along the way. But God in his abundant grace, brought me out of that pit and I believe in this season of just hearing from Him, He is beginning to slowly push me back up to where I need to be and to where He desires me to be. 

Maturity in Christ is crucial. When we mature in Him, we grow away from our old self and into the person that He so desires us to be. God reminded me that in order for me to mature in Him I need (1.) recognize what are the "childish" things that's in me (2.) release them to God (3.) re-establish my passion and relationship with God (4.) rejoice in Him! 

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, 

hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. 

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, 

so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 

now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 

1 Peter 2: 9

This season, God has been revealing to me one by one what I needed to put on and put off. It takes spiritual attentiveness and a teachable heart to be able to recognize what are our "childish acts" that we need to "grow out of". A lot of times, God reveals to us what needs to be put of but we choose not to recognize them. 

As we allow God to open our eyes and recognize these things that need to be get rid off, we must also begin to come before Him at His altar in prayer and worship to say that we want to release them to Him. And with that, there must also be a certain amount of actions/steps that we must be prepared to take (1 Peter 1: 13).

What God does as we release all of our "childishness" before Him is that He begins a new work in our spirit. He begins to re-establish a new relationship with us. Likewise, we must constantly crave to grow our relationship with Him. Re-establishing our relationship with Him is a daily act of worship, it is not a one-time event but a constant building of relationship. 

Kids are generally more joyous and cheerful than most adults. And if there's one thing that we shouldn't get rid off in terms of our "childishness" so to speak, is the ability to smile and rejoice as we mature in Him! For some of us, as we grow in maturity in Christ or perhaps ministries, we begin to lose sight of the things that matter most to God. We become cynical and gloomy and soon, we forget how to rejoice in the Lord. God reminded me of this area and it speaks so much. It truly pleases Him when we rejoice in Him!