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A
fascinating study is that of children and their maturity levels. From one
child to the next in my family there are marked differences in the way they respond
and play. The younger ones may spend a great deal of time entertained by
pulling around a small toy. At a little older age, hours are taken in play-acting.
Sometimes the boys get so dressed up in their "cowboy" gear that they are
almost unrecognizable.
As the children age, their taste
for fun usually changes. Thirteen year old Nathan can spend hours inventing
something or making some gadget to fulfill a perceived need. Recently he
concocted a doorbell for his bedroom! It even has a button on his end to
activate a response light so I can know if he heard the bell!
Youthful immaturity is entertaining except when found in someone older. It
is sad with a twenty-year-old who acts like a six-year-old. When someone
doesn't mature, there is something wrong.
John wrote to
Christians of varying maturity (1
John 2:12-14). To each he had a word of encouragement and explanation
as to why he had addressed them. He didn't disparage that all were not mature.
However, John would have been expecting them to be MATURING. It
is sad when a Christian doesn't mature.
Are you still growing in the Lord? You should be until
the day He calls you home. What are you doing to grow? Are you reading
the Word and talking with God? Are
you exercising your faith by telling others about Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the New American
Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
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Love's Maturity
