LD StaffSpiritual growth, development, and maturity is actually mind renewal. It has nothing to do with how long you’ve been in church or a Christian.
When you feed and meditate on the word, your mind is being renewed.
And this mind renewal results in behavioral change and character modification.
1. You Love the Brethren
You recognize that the church, which is the body of Christ, is bigger than any natural family or fraternity in the world.
So you don’t regard or disregard anyone because of their status, but rather see your brother as yourself.
You are willing to share with your brother and understand that love isn’t always convenient.
2. You Understand that God being with You is True Success
You understand that the material things you have or are trying to acquire do not make you a success. It is the presence of the Lord in your life that makes you a success.
You’ve come to understand that it’s not about what you have; it’s about who’s with you.
Joseph was naked; he had no bank account, no educational qualification, and no natural connection with people of influence, but God regarded him as a successful man.
3. You Know that You are Not in Bondage to the Devil
You refuse to let the devil manipulate your mind into thinking that anything you experience is who you are.
You’ve come to know that your natural experiences don’t define you.
You understand that if you ever feel like you lack anything, it is because you have acknowledged what you think you don’t have longer than what you actually do.
You also know that the devil can’t yoke you because you are already yoked with Christ—one with Him.
4. You’ve Learned to Pray the Right Way
You’ve learned to pray perfect prayers where the Spirit gives you understanding and guidance on what to declare and what actions to take.
You understand that praying in the Spirit is the best way to pray, where yielding your tongue to Him is actually submitting your will to God.
It is also a manifestation of your trust in God; you don’t know everything, but He does.
You’ve come to know that prayer is actually fellowshipping with God.
You talk to God like a son talks to His Father.
You set your heart on God’s word and not on the devil.
You see prayer also as a time to intercede or contend for the souls of men and the advancement of the gospel.
You are confident that God hears you every time, so it’s not about the time you pray. Any time you talk to Him, He hears you.
You know that prayer is powerful every hour because it’s not about your powerful prayers but about a powerful God who hears you every time you pray.
5. You are Not Afraid of Challenges
You know that challenges don’t come to consume you, and they are only around for a season.
You’ve learned to depend on God and not yourself to get you through.
Rather than get distracted and begin to worry, you keep going and follow the one who is leading you.
That’s why David said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.”
You understand that you don’t have to understand the situation, but you decide to trust Him and keep following.
You have come to know that not every trouble you experience is negative.
You’ve also seen that adversity actually helps you come out of your comfort zone.
So fighting what looks like adversity could actually be fighting your growth.
You are careful with your perception of how things should be, as you may just be resisting God’s plan for your progress.
You understand that God’s presence with you is all you need; you don’t always have to understand everything.
6. You Don’t Struggle to Live the Christian Life
You understand that being a Christian is not just in your words but also reflected in your lifestyle.
You know you shouldn’t live like the world, nor should you struggle to live a godly life.
You’ve learned that the life of a Christian is lived from the inside out, not from the outside in.
You know that you have in you what it takes to produce godly character and righteous deeds.
All you have to do is allow Him, through His word, to work through you, and He will give you the right desires that will produce the right actions.
7. You Have Made the Choice to Yield
You experienced the word of God pull down wrong beliefs and break negative behavioral patterns in your life.
You know that to resist the devil is not about saying “I resist you,” but about rejecting his thoughts and preventing them from being planted in your mind.
And you reject his thoughts by submitting to God. This means that you prevent the negative seeds from being planted by letting the word of God in.
If you don’t, you will find yourself stuck in negative patterns and think it’s the devil, but it’s not.
You’ve come to see that it’s one thing for Christ to be in you; it’s another thing to allow Him to take control of your life.
Walking with Him means paying attention to His words and aligning.
8. You Understand Timing
You have learned to yield to the Spirit of God.
You hold on quietly, believing what God has said, and follow His instructions.
You have come to understand that there is timing in accordance with God’s plan; you are patient.
Your patience is a reflection of your faith.
You trust that He knows the best path for your life.
You understand that having trust issues is actually a result of insufficient knowledge and that the knowledge of God’s love produces faith in our hearts.
Conclusion
Spiritual maturity isn’t what you try to make happen; you don’t try to modify your character or grow; you just eat.
You focus on the substance that makes it happen: milk and meat, which is the word.
The more you grow, the more you know you have to meditate on God’s word.
It’s not about having your way or trusting in your faith, but trusting in Him.
You get to a point where, if you don’t get any witness from the master, you don’t have any desire to make a move.
You learn to depend on the spirit.
The more you know Him, the more humble you become.
It’s no longer about you; His will becomes your will.
Until you get to that point, you will continue to wonder about life.
