Lord's Day Devotion - Beyond Maturity

 

Athletes practice and train, always improving their stamina, muscles, moves (depending on their respective sport), straining ever forward for better and better potential competitive results.  They can't rest for much more than a day at a time.  They don't want to only maintain a level of competent maturity for their bodies, they want to go beyond, pushing and testing their limits and strengths.  Oh, and eradicating their weaknesses.

They usually only have a limited time to be at their peak performance.  Prime time is about mid-teens to perhaps mid-twenties.  Some manage to push to 30 or 32 years of age.  Then their bodies begin to work against them and they need to retire and find something else to do.

Take this analogy to the spiritual realm and life we have in Christ.  Look at what Paul says to the Philippians in chapter 3 and verse 15 and 16...

"All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if on some point you think differeently, that too God will make clear to you.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained" (Philippians 3:15-16 NIV).

These brothers and sisters who are mature need to live up to the level they've already attained.  If we step back again to verse 13 you'll see we are reminded of the "straining toward".  Like the athletes, we must always strain and strive, not just to a supposed point of maturity in our faith, nor just to maintain a certain level of it, no, we must reach and reach beyond that, continuing to build ourselves (and others) up in our most holy faith.  This not legalistically but out of a heart full of love and appreciation for what Christ has done for us.  A heart of love will see these not as a command but as the Lord's wish to be fulfilled for Him.

If we relent for a day, it often becomes more days and then rarely ever do we warm ourselves with the Lord's presence.  We digress to milk instead of having a diet of meat (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-2).  Let us guard against this.  Our Lord and Savior is ever waiting to commune with us over God's Word and prayer and living it out.  What's more, there's no specific time frame we need to capitalize upon as in the athletic world.  No we can be mature and beyond mature right up into our old age, until Jesus comes for us.

"How do you like that?" she asks with a glad smile.

As we brothers and sisters-in-Christ come before the Lord collectively on a Lord's Day, let us be glad and rejoice with Him for the salvation He brought and bought us on the cross.  When we partake of the broken bread and drink of the cup of wine in remembrance of His atoning act of love, and redemption on our behalf, give thanks that we can pro-actively mature in our faith and then go out rejoicing that we can each live and grow beyond maturity.

Father God, You make all things beautiful in Your time.  Thank You for the times we have to remember Your demonstration of love for us and the new life You planted within us at our moment of salvation.

Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who aids and abetts our relationship with You through Jesus and helps bring us to maturity in our faith.

We give You our thanks in Jesus' name. Amen.

                                              ~ERC  September 2023~

Based on Philippians 3:15-16.

Sing, Oh God of Ages Past, along with Se Samonte and Growing in Jesus, along with stc channel.