the Journey of Maturity

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
What does "Growing to maturity" look like
Are we mature in the natural by:

1. Reaching puberty?
2. Graduating High school?
3. Getting Married?
4. Having Children?
We know none of these things really indicates that we are "mature"

So how do we really measure maturity?

Hebrews 6:1 states; Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Perfection here is talking about growing into maturity

So what does true maturity in the kingdom look like?
If we measure our personal maturity by any of the fore mentioned things we would agree that we are greatly in error. So it can be in the realm of the church & among believers if we have the wrong parameters to measure.
I have witnessed much immaturity in the kingdom and actually the immaturity of Christians has been the single greatest heartache I experienced in my years of Pastoring! many times that immaturity was exhibited by those with many years in the church or with a position or title.
So years does not equate maturity. Title or position does not equate maturity.
Kevin Conner wrote in his book "The Church in the New Testament" that he believed the "placement of immature believers was the single greatest travesty in the church today!" And I agree with Him! So in light of that what are we looking for in a "mature believer?"

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. ”

So our foundation stands here:
1. Loving (agape) God with everything
2. Loving (agape) others with everything

Agape love does not depend at all on the behavior of others! We Love them no matter what they do or say! This flows from our Love relationship with God through Christ by the inner working of the Holy Spirit.
When we don't walk this out, we can circle the mountain of immaturity again and again and never look close enough to recognize our own tracks because "we have been here before!" we can easily be offended, angry, gossipers, blaming others, blaming God, etc.
Leaders & Lovers look within at what the Lord is doing in them in the storms of life; not outward toward the circumstances and actions of others!
I have saw more than my share of ministrs through the years taken out by circumstances that were only allowed by God because He was bringing them into maturity and they didn't respond correctly to step up to where He was leading them. They have gotten bitter, hurt, etc. and stepped back or down instead of forward. If that describes you, you can get up today and back on the Journey of Maturity! GO ON UNTO PERFECTION!

I see a progression into maturity from Peters words:

2 Peter 1:5-9
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self- control, and self- control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

Peters leads us on this Journye of Maturity and states your will know when you not only love other Christians unconditionally, but when you love humanity with that saem Agape Love!!Peter lived this out and grew to maturity after working through the bitter weeping of denying Christ!
We need maturing dedicated men & women of God fulfilling there calling today more than ever before: people who don't need to be coddled, petted, encouraged constantly; people who can be spoken to like mature beleivers without fear of "hurting or offending" them. Remember the "truth spoken in love" creates growth according the Ephesians 4. Some will never grow to mature because their own insecurities will keep them away from the God intended relationships that will challenge where they are in an effort by God to help them become all that He paid for!
Where are you in this journey of maturity?
Do you love people regardless?
Do you get easily offended?
Do you distance yourself from those who tend to "speak the truth in love?
Have you looked down closely to see if "you've been here before" going around the same mountain of immaturity?
You can make a couple suttle adjustments and get back on the journey today!
We need you on that journey. God wants you on that journey, for their is so much more that we wants to pour through you into the loves of others!
Thanks you for saying "YES" to the call
Say "YES" daily to the journey of maturity!

Let me know your thoughts :)