Let’s talk about Spiritual Maturity!
Ephesians 4:13-16
God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.
It is with the same spirit and desire that Paul wrote these words to the Ephesians that we want our summer staff to grow into a new spiritual maturity while they are working at Mountain TOP and beyond. If you’re interested in developing spiritually then Mountain T.O.P. is the place for you!
A common reason our summer staff want to work at Mountain TOP doesn’t stem from a passion for building sciences or wanting to put “worked at a non-profit” on their resume. Most summer staff or applicants say they want to work at Mountain TOP because this is a place where they have experienced spiritual growth or have encountered God in some way and they want more.
We are with you! There are all kinds opportunities structured into the jobs at Mountain TOP to grow and mature. From leading devotions and giving messages to just being immersed in a ministry with a purpose that is greater than ourselves. It is the cycle of Rest, Work and Worship in a day at Mountain TOP that really fuels the kind of transformation and spiritual growth people come to expect while being here.
When we don’t have intentional times of devotion or the community of people to ask hard questions that stimulate growth, we start to stagnate. Structure doesn’t sound fun, but it is amazing and important. Imagine living life without a skeleton. Not a pleasant image, but you get my point.
Working at Mountain TOP offers soil for the seeds of the gospel. But it is not the only place we should expect to grow. We can make structures ourselves and direct our hearts and hands to be thirsty for God anywhere we are!
Here are some things to try to help continue your spiritual growth and maturation as you finish your semesters!
Spiritual Maturity is characterized by seeking first the kingdom of God; a search for wholeness in your life; and awareness of your own needs and the needs of others around you and the humbleness of walking with others rather than by yourself.
Spiritual Maturity isn’t something you stumble upon, it requires training and sometimes reprioritization. People don’t just become more mature, it comes from speaking truth with love to yourself, others and God.
Here are some practices that can help develop and indicate spiritual maturity. These are things we encourage our summer staff to do and you can do them almost anywhere and anytime. If you don’t do all of these things that’s ok. There is always time to start. There are 168 hours in a week. If you want to, you can create time to do something new. So we challenge you to do one of these practices for a week in a way that is intentional and searching.
An active prayer life: Paul tells us many times to pray constantly and to offer up thanks and praise.. Peter tells us to offer up our cares to God. and Jesus says for us to lay our burdens upon him. The honesty of prayer is vulnerable and shapes how we act and our hearts.
Active scripture reading: Scripture is the foundation for our relationship with Jesus. It’s how we know what Jesus is all about. Scriptures are challenging, stretch us, and make us think about how we live and what we truly believe. Scriptures help us stay grounded and help us ask questions to learn who God really is. Psalm 1; Proverbs 3:3; Ephesians 6:10-18
Being active in church community and the body of Christ: We are not meant to follow Jesus in a vacuum. When Jesus sent his disciples out he sent them in pairs. Just Like Paul says in Ephesians: The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. We must be united to grow.
Acts of Kindness and Service: James 1:22 says we should be doers of the word. Jesus says for us to Love each other just as he loved us (John 13). It is important that we respond to the truth with action and do things that truly help our neighbors. The fruits of the spirit are manifested in our actions.
Sabbath: Intentional time of rest and settling in. This can be a whole day or a 15 minute time to just stop and turn to God. Even the LORD rested on the seventh day. Sabbath taking is harder than it sounds and can be humbling. Sabbath taking is a spiritual discipline.
Spiritual Maturity is not a destination. It is a heart posture that is learned. And Mountain TOP is a good place to learn it. This post is not a magic article that will make you super wise and thoughtful and your best you. No, this post is just to help give context for what we mean when we talk about spiritual maturity.