Moving Toward Maturity

Hi friends, this is Kiersten Holmberg from Our Daily Bread.

I'd like to share today's devotional reading with you that I titled moving toward maturity recent survey asked respondents to identify the age at which they believed they became adults. Those who consider themselves adults pointed to specific behaviors as evidence of their status. Having a budget and buying a house top the list as being marks of adultery. Other adult activities ranged from cooking dinner every week night and scheduling one's own medical appointments to the more humorous ability to choose to eat snacks for dinner or being excited to stay home on a Saturday evening instead of going out. The Bible says we should press on toward spiritual maturity as well. In Ephesians 413, Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus urging the people to become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. While we are young in our faith were vulnerable to every wind of teaching, which often results in division among us.

Instead, as we mature in our understanding of the truth we function as a unified body under him who is the head, that is, Christ. God gave us his Spirit to help us grow into a full understanding of who he is and he equips pastors and teachers to instruct and lead us toward maturity in our faith, just as certain characteristics are evidence of physical maturity. Our unity as his body is evidence of our spiritual growth. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading this from Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 through 16 so Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect. The mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Let's pray. Loving God, you are the author of our growth and maturity. Please help us to see where our understanding of you is still immature and teach us more of your wisdom in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries