Spiritual Maturity
Spiritual Maturity
Leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation. (Heb. 6:1)
Love Is a Choice
You can decide to run a marathon in a moment of inspiration, but your ability to complete one comes only after much preparation and hard work. Depending on the kind of shape you’re in, it can take six months or more to create an adequate base of fitness that enables you to traverse the 26.2 miles without a high probability of injury and a certainty of great pain. So while running a marathon is a choice, it’s the kind of choice that requires you to keep on deciding you really want to run a marathon after all. A lot of things in life are like that. There’s the initial decision and then a lot of confirming decisions along the way.
Can You Choose It?
Jesus invites you to a manly, mature, self-giving life of love that grows as you mature in Him. Really, your ability to love is the best measure of your spiritual maturity. As you learn to continually walk in the Spirit, Christ’s love will flow through you to others.
It’s a supernatural thing. It requires active abiding in the vine. Christ enables you to love the people in your life, even when they’re at their most unlovable, but you have to let Him—and keep on letting Him—consistently walking in the Spirit.
Bottom Line
Love is a choice, but the supernatural love of Christ grows stronger in you as you grow deeper in Him.