Many times we are faced with making decisions of how to respond to certain situations. Sometimes we respond with maturity and sometimes we respond like a little child. Does it make a difference how we respond? Sure it does, we need to develop maturity. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I have watched the response of some people when events didn’t go the way they wanted. They responded like a spoiled child would. You know the response, if I don’t get my way I am taking my ball and going home. They run away and hide not wanting to take responsibility. What kind of example does that show others?

I have also seen people who have been dealt the short end of the stick respond in a mature, controlled manner. They indicate that they have self-control in spite of the circumstances that surround them. They indicate a character trait that will help them as they seek to advance their career and live life.

Let’s face it, in life there are going to be good days and bad days. Sometimes everything is going to fall in place. Sometimes everything is going to go against you. As one songwriter put it, “Some days are diamonds and some days are stones.” How we respond to the days that fall short of our hopes and dreams reveals how mature we are. It also sets the tone for days to come.

We may not realize it but when we act in a way that doesn’t honor God we set in motion a path that leads away from Him and His plan for our lives. Think of it this way, good produces good, bad produces bad. Good doesn’t come from doing things against God.

Yes, we all know bad things happen to good people. There are many reasons for that, one being not everyone has your best interest at heart. Most times people are so caught up in themselves that they don’t take the time to think how their actions affect others. When someone acts in a selfish way, good people will be in their path and bad things happen.

We can, however, still honor God. This just provides another opportunity for us to respond differently than what others might expect. We need to remember who is in control and let God direct us. Think of the example we set for others when we respond in a mature, God honoring way. Here is a passage that will help at times like this;

Matthew 5:43-48, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

We have all seen people who live like no one else matters to them. They go through life with one vision, take care of number one. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they fail; but what about the damage and chaos they cause along the way? What about the folks who are on the receiving end of their immature behavior? Maturity requires that we think about our actions and how they affect those around us. We can’t just run roughshod through life and leave a path of destruction along the way. That does not honor God.

Paul, the writer of the Book of Ephesians, challenges us to grow up, become mature in our faith so that we won’t be tossed about, believing anything we hear as the true Word of God. He says;

Ephesians 4:11-16, Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

We are all teachers and teach by example; our job is to build up the Kingdom of God. We cannot do this if we act like immature children. The goal is that we are mature in the Lord and do our part to make the body of Christ one; whole, healthy, growing and full of love.

There is a danger if we fail to grow up; we will be tossed about, running from here to there not knowing what to believe. Think of a dog chasing his tail, running around and around in circles, he only knows what he is chasing when he catches it, bites it and feels the pain. When we are not mature we can be led astray by some fine sounding teaching, we chase after it, we believe it to be something else, only to catch it and find it is nothing at all. Then we feel the pain of deceitfulness.

Solomon asked God for wisdom to understand all things. God granted him that to him. He then set out to determine what was real and worth pursuing. He determined that the pursuit of man’s desires is like “chasing the wind” and that nothing lasting and fulfilling comes from those pursuits. You can find his thoughts in the OT book of Ecclesiastes, here is his conclusion;

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

We need to mature in our faith, learn and teach about God. We should have a respect for God that is above everything in our lives. We need to be obedient to His guidance, direction and instructions. Don’t waste away your life living like a little child, tossed here and there, without anything to hold you firmly in place. Maturity is required.

Blessings,

Pastor Don