We have friends who have a niece who is extremely immature. She has been so babied by her parents that, into her twenties, she never had to fix her own plate at meals, do her laundry, lift a finger to help around the house, get a job, or do anything other than play video games. On the rare occasions she wouldn’t completely get her way, she would throw tantrums to manipulate adults around her. On one instance, she screamed at her aunt, slammed doors, scratched her own face and hacked on her hair. Her aunt and uncle told her: ”Will you please just grow up!”

It seems to be ingrained in our human nature readily to see immaturities in others, but not so easily in ourselves. The Apostle Paul addresses this problem when he tells the saints at Corinth: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (I Corinthians 3:1). There were four characteristics that made this conclusion obvious. Paul said, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (I Corinthians 3:2). Just as an infant cannot digest solid food, immature believers cannot digest anything but the simple basics of biblical teaching. Hebrews 5:11-14 explains why this is so in any dispensation. A disinterest in biblical teaching and a lack in using God’s Word to hone one’s “senses… to discern both good and evil” will always result in spiritual immaturity. Until changed by a genuine interest in God’s Word, and time properly studying Scripture, no believer will truly grow to be a mature child of God. I Corinthians 3:3-6 reveals there are three other characteristics that prove one has not grown to spiritual adulthood. Paul rebukes them for “envying” one another, having avoidable “strife” with other believers, and creating “divisions” because they inappropriately exalted one teacher over another.

As we looked into the mirror of God’s Word today, did you see your own reflection? If so, good! Being able to acknowledge one’s problem is the first step toward victory and maturity. Today, take at least one of these four characteristics and take positive, concrete steps to correct the problem. Only if we are willing to allow God to change us, are we truly spiritually mature or growing to that end.