After writing about blessing and cursing, I went and lived a cursing lifestyle. Recognizing that brought shame and discouragement until I saw the recognition as a gift of God's grace. Seeing my shadow allowed me to experience God's love and love those around me through confession and reconciliation. Cursing is a sign of immaturity which can move us toward God who is eagerly waiting like the Prodigal Father.

Words have power, and they reflect what is going on in the heart. We can be a blessing or a curse to those around us, and we are contagious. A lifestyle of blessing brings joy. But if we aren't there, what do we do. Recognizing our immaturity through this is a gift and allows us to step into the healing and freedom that Jesus offers.

Jesus was with every kind of person and loved each of them. He reacted differently to different people but love guided all that He did. He did this in part to show us what it looks like to be fully human. Here’s a test to gauge where we are in the process of becoming like Jesus. Take it and then have a conversation with God about it.

Another sign that reveals our formation into Christlikeness is our ability to forgive those who hurt us, ourselves, and God. Forgiving may be the most difficult thing we are called to do, but not doing it is too costly. It is the difference between a growing warm heart and a growing cold and bitter heart. We know it but how do we become forgiving people?

Another sign that reveals our formation into Christlikeness is how we respond to suffering. Rolheiser notes that suffering deepens the soul. The question is what we become deep in. Some move towards bitterness and others towards love. Christ invites us to follow Him through suffering to love.

When people come at us with anger and bitterness and hatred our response reveals where we are in becoming like Christ. We experience God’s grace regardless, but as we mature we learn to feel, be held in those feelings, and process what we experience in such a way that transformation happens, and we respond in love. No doubt this reveals maturity. Let’s discuss how to get there.

Becoming fully mature in Christ is a lifelong process full of mystery and under the sovereignty of God but it does not have to be shrouded in vagueness. We can describe signs of maturity. In this post we look at the process of coming to peace with complexity and how that allows us to empathize with others recognizing we are all in the same boat.

Becoming fully mature in Christ is a lifelong process full of mystery and under the sovereignty of God but it does not have to be shrouded in vagueness. We can describe signs of maturity. Two of those are gratitude and joy which is shown in how we enjoy life. This is not simple but nonetheless we can dive into the topic and unearth the treasures that await us.

How do you know if you are mature? What are you or your community doing to grow people to full maturity in Christ. This is what Paul says is his main goal. In this new series we will look at signs of maturity and how we can become mature people without making maturity an idol.

M is for Mental Models. One sign of growing maturity is awareness of our mental models or the lenses through which we see the world. Recognizing our filters, moving towards alignment with the Bible/Truth, and creating systems within our community to do this is vital for healthy, loving growth.

L is for listen. As humans we feel loved when someone deeply listens to us, but most of us don’t have that someone. We can become good listeners which includes both skills and mindset and is a sign of maturity. God calls us to love in this way and will empower us as we make space to encounter him.

E is for Enemy. Growing in Christlikeness means becoming the kind of people who love our enemies. It also means knowing who our true enemy is and becoming adept with the weapons of spiritual warfare.