New Reminders: Maturity
by Ardith Hoff
“Maturity is realizing that half of what you want to say does not need to be said.” Yung Pueblo in his self-help book and poem: The Way Out p.5
Those of us who like to talk about ourselves may need to take a step back and realize that we are never going to connect with another person while we are busy talking and failing to listen and learn about someone else. Relationships are a two-way street, and if we are the only one dominating both sides of the street, relationships cannot develop, let alone flourish and grow. Connecting with others is the hallmark of a healthy life. Failing to do so, leaves us empty and wondering why we don’t feel fulfilled––why we don’t seem to have a purpose.
Finding out what others are doing and what they find meaningful, is a way to adjust our own thinking to include finding new meaning in our own lives. Hearing other’s stories about how they found peace through giving and receiving love, can open up an avenue to finding our own peace. Not that everyone we meet has the right answers for us, but we can also learn what not to do by learning from mistakes others might share. For many, it is an affiliation with a church that has provided the best place to find the answers they seek. Finding true happiness is a long road, but we must start somewhere.
When we feel broken and helpless to change our own lives, finding out how others have handled heartaches, disappointments, hopelessness and loss can show us how patience and endurance can lead to courage and renewal. Finding a sense of belonging and comfort, is an important human need. Being part of a group who have a dedicated purpose to help others, can inspire a person to realize that his or her own problems may not be as bad as they thought.
Finding the right church, can help a person grow in character and also in faith. This will not happen overnight. It will take time and effort, study and practice. Spiritual maturity is a process and just like physical and mental maturity, it is an ongoing goal, not a destination. As the writer Kelly Baker put it: “Spiritual maturity is not a matter of how much we know about God or how much we are involved in religious activities. Rather, biblical maturity has to do with endurance, diligence, long-suffering, faith, patience, hope, good deeds, and love. It has to do with the fundamental transformation of our character.”
1 Corinthians 14:20 “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”