Press On to Maturity
Growing up. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to be a teenager. I thought by the time I reached 16, I would be so grown-up. Now, my age no longer has the word “teen” in it, yet I still feel like a teenager who’s trying to fake being an adult, like somehow I know what being an adult even means. Yeah, I don’t really like the thought of growing up.
There are some areas of life that “growing up” isn’t necessary (for example, I will forever love Lucky Charms and circus peanuts, no matter how childish that may seem). In fact, spiritually speaking, to enter the kingdom of God we must come to Him like a child (see Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:15, and Luke 18:17). However, while we are to come to God like children, we are still called to grow up in the Lord. We are called to maturity.
Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:11-14
The author of Hebrews is warning the audience of spiritual dullness and immaturity. The Greek word for dull is “nōthros,” which means lazy or slothful. They were not staying sharp or practiced in the Word, and therefore, they were stuck on milk instead of meat.
It’s easy to see the comparison between the dangers of staying on milk in real life. If a baby is never introduced to solid food, they won’t be able to receive all the nutrients they need to grow properly. In the same way spiritually, if we stay on the “elementary principles,” we won’t grow.
I want to pause for a moment and say that the “elementary principles” are necessary to the Christian life. You cannot start a baby off on solid food the moment they are born, and you can’t start off a new believer on anything other than the foundational elements of Christianity. Every Christian must have a solid foundation of knowing who Jesus is, what salvation is, and what it means to be born again. And for the mature Christian, we don’t ignore these foundational beliefs because they are what hold up our faith. We must continually review and know well the basics of our salvation, but we are not supposed to stop there.
So, how do we avoid being lazy in our spiritual growth? We must be diligent to train. Verse 14 says the mature have trained their senses to “discern good and evil.” We must train ourselves to be accustomed to the “word of righteousness,” to see God’s Word as instruction for growth and receive it joyfully rather than being jarred, put off, or discouraged by the thought of needing to grow. We should never be discouraged when God shows us that we can grow in Him. God’s conviction is a sign of His love for us and a sign that we are becoming more like Christ (see Hebrews 12:6).
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:9-12
We are called to diligence in our walk with God. When I think of diligence, I think of athletes, and the Bible uses athletes often as a metaphor of the Christian life:
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
An athlete is dedicated to their sport. They show up for practice when they don’t feel like it. They set their eyes on a goal and train to achieve it. As Christians, we are called to set our eyes on the goal, which is Christ. We are called to show up to practice, to live the Christian life for the glory of Christ, even when we don’t feel like it. That is dedication, and when we show up to the game, even when we feel exhausted, that is when the Holy Spirit starts working in our lives to grow us into greater maturity in Christ.
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, Ephesians 4:13-15
I want to remind you, and myself, that maturity is not about a checklist. Yes, Bible reading, study, and memorization is a part of growth. Prayer is a part of growth. Service is a part of growth. These Christian exercises are important to maturity, but the ultimate goal of maturity is to grow up into Christ, to know Him more, to love Him more, and to become more like Him. Christianity is not about a checklist. It’s about knowing Christ and having a personal relationship with Him.
So, what step are you taking today? How can you press on toward maturity? Maybe you recognized that you don’t have a firm foundation of understanding the basics of your faith. Maybe you realized you’ve become nōthros and need to commit to being diligent in your walk with the Lord. Maybe you realized you’ve been focused on the checklist rather than Christ. Or maybe this isn’t a struggle for you, and you just needed the reminder to continue pressing on. Wherever you find yourself, start there. Rejoice in the Lord’s work in you, whatever stage you’re in, and press on in Christ!
With love,
Kelsey
