In yesterday’s devotional I spoke about spiritual maturity. There are times when someone who is new to the faith and has limited knowledge and experience needs to seek out some help from someone who is more spiritually mature than they are.

There are also times when the person who is more spiritually mature needs to recognize that fact and be the person to provide advice or help.

But how do you know if you’re spiritually mature? Or, to put it another way, how do you know if you’re headed in the right direction?

Here are four signs of spiritual maturity. I’ll simply list them. If you want to go deeper you can link below to the a slightly longer post where more detail is given. These four aren’t the only signs of spiritual maturity, but they certainly help in our discernment.

First, you have a firm faith that is loving and rooted in biblical truth.

Second, you are consistent in spiritual practices (like worship, Bible-reading, prayer, and servanthood).

Third, you have kept the faith through life’s ups and downs for an extended period of time.

Fourth, others sometimes come to you for advice.

We see all four in Jesus (obviously). They are also present in people like the apostle Paul. James also comes to mind. He was the half-brother of Jesus who became a leader in the early church centred in Jerusalem, a hot bed of religious zeal and turmoil.

When Paul was wrapping up his first letter to the Corinthians, he provided a super-short summary of closing instructions: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love” (verse 13-14). A mature Christian (Paul) knew how important it was to guide others not only by talking the talk but by walking the walk. 

What if God had given someone you know—and perhaps even you—a measure of maturity which would help others along the path?

Maturity is meant to be shared.

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Notes and extra content:

—New: Post and Podcast: “Four Signs of Spiritual Maturity.”Click here.

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on April 29, 2024.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.