11 Signs that you are Maturing Spiritually 2

 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
1 Peter 2:2


We have identified three signs that indicate that you're maturing spiritually. The first was growing in the fruit of the spirit, the second was being spiritually-minded and thirdly we touched on maintaining the right confession at all times. Let me share some more of the signs you should look out for in your life to know whether or not you're growing and to make the necessary adjustments.


Hunger and thirst for Righteousness

A burning desire for God is the highest level of maturity one can have. You can't have too much of God- He's MORE THAN ENOUGH! And He wants you to know Him intimately in all His glory and the revelation of Himself. Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.' (Matthew 5:6) Following hard after God is a sign that you're maturing spiritually. Don't get 'okay' with how much of God you have seen or known. There is more of God. And the first step in having all the fulness of God is in having a deep desire to have all of Him. Smith Wigglesworth said, 'There should be all of God and none of me; none of me and all of God.' The things of God should be so dear to your heart that without having communed with God's Spirit, you would sense that something is missing in your life. You're not maturing spiritually until you want to have a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit through prayer and in the Word of God. This is when Church becomes more important than any other meeting or schedule and you set out clearly in your heart the purpose for which you attend Service- to have more of Jesus! David said, 'O God, my God! How I search for you! How I thirst for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. How I long to find you! How I wish I could go into your sanctuary to see your strength and glory, for your love and kindness are better to me than life itself. How I praise you! I will bless you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.' (Psalm 63:1-4). This will require you to shift your focus and attention from ungodly and carnal material (carnal music, carnal movies, and even people who are not locked in with God) and focus your desires and attention upon God. Then, God's glory and power can be fully expressed through your life.


Being Mission-Minded

Remember this: Spiritual maturity begins with a mindset that is built, and developed through constant meditation on the Word. Your mind must be altered in the direction of God's Word such that it controls your thinking patterns and ultimately your decisions, actions and your life. The Christian is called into the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). This means that we have the responsibility of reconciling the world unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Based on our Lord's Sovereign command in Matthew 28:18-20, which says, '...“I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this—that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”' What else do you have to live for? The Bible says the Kingdom of God should be your utmost priority (Matthew 6:33). It's a sign that you're maturing spiritually when you begin to realise the importance of reaching out with the Gospel to your world by preaching and investing heavily in the advancement of the Gospel. As this revelation becomes clearer to you, you find that, you cannot keep quiet with the Gospel, neither can you hide your light. As such, people may even begin to brand you- by calling Pastor, Bishop or Apostle! You find that you have a burden for the lost and you now take your place of intercession. Just have this mind and heart of a missionary. That no matter where you find yourself, the Gospel must be heard. It must be told to the untold and it must reach the unreached. A burning desire and deep passion for winning souls is a sign of Christian maturity. But beware of being so preoccupied with the mission that you forget the One who sent you on the mission. Give Him your attention and He will express Himself through you! After all, it's His Message!

Being Humble and Submissive

Being puffed up by what you know and who you're connected to is the highest form of immaturity. As you begin to mature spiritually, you must develop a mindset of humility and submission towards your fellow Christians and others around you. The Bible says, 'Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ,...' (Philippians 2:5). That was the attitude of humility. In the continuing verses, the Bible declares that Jesus emptied Himself of all His glory and majesty in order to become identified with sinful humanity. As a result of this humble obedience to the will of the Father, Jesus has been highly exalted above all power and dominion and might. He has the Name that is above every other name- Jesus! (verses 9 and 10). No other name comes close to it. Hallelujah! But how did that happen? Humility and submission. We are admonished to emulate this trait of our Lord. Don't just be humble in the sight of men. Refuse to let your money, possessions, knowledge, expertise or spiritual gift cause you to be inflated with pride. Submit to God first and learn to be humble in spite of the circumstances.That's a sign of true greatness and spiritual maturity. In addition, that's what guarantees your promotion in the realm of the spirit (Read Matthew 18:3-6)