The Christian and Immaturity Part II

In the previous essay, I posited that immature people have certain characteristics that are hurtful to healthy Christian growth. I pointed out that all who are believers in Christ are a work in progress, but that God’s goal in sanctification is to present every man mature in Christ.  God is doing a work in each saint’s heart and mind and a part of that work is -sometimes painfully- causing us to grow up to the full mature measure of Jesus Christ.  We noticed three marks of immaturity in the last essay, self-focus, emotionally driven, and unreliable/unfaithful-ness. In this essay we will notice four more marks of immaturity that can be found in Christians who are not progressing as they should in holiness and love.

Mark 4–Discontentment
We know that being content is a work of grace that each of us struggles with. And it may seem like this is just too broad of a descriptor. Yet, the discontentment that I am writing about in a spiritually immature person is more than just temporary pining after something desired, or moments of frustration; but a life filled with always looking for someone or something to satisfy that deep longing that only God can fill. Children often flit from toy to toy, activity to activity never completing what they started, but quickly getting “bored” with what they have. There is a reason that every Christmas, the local toy store and big box stores send out massive multi-colored  advertisements with page after page of images of the latest and greatest playthings. This is not for the parents, but the marketing teams know that my kid’s eyes will light up and they will go through every page many times drooling with delight. But also, their once satisfying toys in the closet will seem so dim and dusty and useless. They must have next year’s model!  Mom makes hotdogs for dinner, they want hamburgers. Then when they get into the teenage years, their friends have “cooler” parents. The other school is better, and so on. Discontentment marks spiritual immaturity in adults as well. Whether it is seen in materialism, constant complaint, comparing ourselves to others in the church or always looking for that perfect church, exceptional pastors and elders or unbelievable deacons (although no one is willing to say that is what they want). Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians that he had learned in whatever situation of life to be content. The funny thing about contentment is that it only comes through being in situations and life-experiences that we are discontent with. One learns to be content with little money by having little wealth. One learns to be content with other’s weaknesses and failures by being around people with weaknesses and failures. We cannot learn contentment without having deep need, but we often curse our malcontent-ed circumstances while praying that God would teach us contentment. As we grow up in God, we experience trials and difficulties which is God’s means to teach us contentment.

Mark 5–Easily Distracted
Children are easily distracted. This has been useful on several occasions in our home. Our youngest is bothered by the fact that his brother has the toy he wants to play with, and a  result the tears are rolling and the gentle silence is disrupted with wailing as the world comes crashing down around him in his toddler world. So what do we do? We find another bright shiny toy and urge him to see how brilliant and delightful this toy is. Most of the time, it works. He doesn’t care about his brother’s toy and the tears immediately dry up. He was easily distracted, and this was good for mom and dad’s sanity, but if a child persists in this immaturity, it actually produces a whole host of developmental struggles. My point is not to argue for or against the ideas of disorders and such, but to point out that a normally maturing child who is easily distracted and seems to have struggles in this area, is considered (by all who speak to child-hood development) having a “disorder.” It is true also in the spiritual realm. Adopted children of God whatever age they may be, have a spiritual development disorder when they exhibit spiritual distraction. Speaking from the perspective and realm of the spiritual rather than the physical or psychological, Christians who are mesmerized by certain teachers and authors embracing all that this leader espouses only to be driven by the next popular author and preacher, flitting from one doctrinal extreme to the next are expressing signs of spiritual immaturity. As we grow in the faith, we ought to be more measured and able to spend more focused attention on the priorities and doctrines taught in the Scripture. Immature Christians find themselves chasing down tangents and riding hobby horses. They heap to themselves teachers because they have itching ears. They cannot tolerate Biblical exposition. They look for satisfaction in a new job and then another one…and another. They suppose that a change of scenery is what they need, but what immature Christians who struggle with contentment need, is a growing walk with God in prayer and the Word and a humble spirit to know that He is God and what He brings or allows is for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28). Immature Christians get agitated with discontentment, but need to relax, slow down and rest in Christ, trusting him for grace each day.

Mark 6–Unable to Weather Trials

Of course, all of us believers could use growth in this area, but immaturity is also seen by those to whom trials and dramatic events characterize their lives. As a child, it is very difficult to handle pain and hurt all the while considering the needs of others. Children naturally, when they are in pain, care not about anything but the immediate pain. The absolute wailing that takes place when a child scrapes his knee. Now, of course, we show mercy and kiss the ouchie-but that is because we know they are children. But an adult who falls down and scrapes his knee and then wails uncontrollably makes us all glance around awkwardly. This is hyperbole, but as saints, we must grow up spiritually. Count it all joy, brothers when you fall into various trials.  Not that the trials are the end of all, but we know that trials produce patient endurance, but patient endurance must be allowed to do her work, namely to mature us-so that we lack nothing of spiritual necessity. The trials of life are given by God in order to make us mature, but immaturity resists all trials, and looks all around at the awful circumstances rather than looking up in faith. Immature people live from drama to drama, and spiritually immature people are no different. But what a blessing to be around seasoned saints who go through horrendous pains, but seek to spiritually benefit another in spite of their pain. Oh, how delightful it is to be in the presence of such maturity and to experience the grace of the seasoned warrior who smiles through the pain and says, “How can I help you brother, can I pray for you?” Personally, I know as the author of this article that this is such a difficult issue for me. Oh, how I need grace to rejoice in trials with maturity.

Mark 7–Judgmental Spirit

In Romans 14, Paul describes the weaker brother as one who restricts himself unnecessarily and that is okay; but what is not okay is calling on his brother to the same restrictions. Then when his brother does not agree, he judges him, or passes judgment upon him. In the words of the apostle, “My brothers, these things ought not so to be.” Children exemplify this well, it is common for a young boy to be playing with his friends roughly, and for one to accidentally damage the other. Consistently, the child runs to his parents and instead of saying, “We were hurt,” he exclaims with sincerity, “He hurt me.” It is amazing how the difference between the passive and active voice in the English language can say so much. The former is a statement of fact, the latter is an assumption, accusation, and judgment all found within a few words. The idea of this immature conjecture is that more sympathy will be garnered if I can prove or at least imply that not only was I hurt, but the fact of my getting hurt was intentional, unjust and nefarious. Spiritually immature Christians have difficulty with assumptions and often see disagreements as personal slights and attacks. Spiritually immature people ironically, suppose (as in the case of Romans 14) that one who does not see things their way is unwilling to because of some defect of intellect or character. To an immature person, there is only one way to see an issue-their way. Of course no person who struggles with this immaturity naturally recognizes this tendency, but ask all those whom they have prosecuted, judged, and executed and they will provide a clearer perspective.

These 7 marks of immaturity are a rebuke to this author, for even in writing them, I see my weakness and failures. But this I know, God intends for us to grow by grace in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. We often are blind to our immaturity, that is the nature of immaturity. Immature people don’t know that they are immature. I have never met a saint (and honestly I have never said this either) who would express without hesitation, “My problem is that I am just too immature and need to grow up in the knowledge of God.” Maybe what we need is a fresh voice and perspective to identify our areas of weakness and our need for growth in grace. Good news, we have a fresh voice, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and every time we immerse our minds and hearts in the words of the Gospel and the truths of Jesus and who he is as God, there is a light that shines upon our immaturity with the maturity of Christ and his Word says to our immature hearts, “Treasure me, and I will make you grow in me.”

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