Sunday 14 June 2026

Growing in Christ: The Journey Towards Spiritual Maturity

I often hear phrases that describe maturity. An older person might say of someone younger, “She is wise beyond her years.” A sports commentator might praise an athlete for being “cool under pressure.” Yet we also hear phrases like, “He’s stuck in his ways,” or “She’s over the hill.”

Whatever the expression, they all raise the same question:   What does true maturity really look like?

The Bible reminds us that God looks beyond outward appearances and looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). From God’s perspective, spiritual maturity is not measured by age or by how long we have been Christians, but by how deeply we know Christ and how increasingly our lives reflect His character. God’s desire is that we:

“attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

The encouraging thing is that spiritual maturity is not a destination we reach, but a journey God takes us on.

None of us wake up one morning fully mature in faith. Through His Word, prayer, fellowship, and even life’s challenges, God is shaping us and transforming us from the inside out (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).   What begins as belief grows into trust, and what starts as faith becomes a way of life.

As James 1:2-4. reminds us:

“the testing of your faith produces perseverance so that you may be mature and complete”

Even in difficult seasons, God is still at work, producing the fruit of His Spirit within us—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Spiritual maturity is not about perfection, but about becoming more like Christ.

That is good news for all of us, because none of us have arrived. Whether we are young or old, new in faith or have walked with Christ for many years, God is not finished with us yet. The Apostle Paul himself said:

“I press on” (Philippians 3:12), and we too are called to keep growing.

So let us never become “stuck in our ways,” but remain open to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, confident that:

“he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).        By God’s grace, we are becoming more and more like Jesus, and what a wonderful journey that is.

Blessings

Enosa