A recent survey of Christians reveals that many believers are uncertain about what it
means to be mature in their faith. The survey points to the sobering fact that more than half of all church-goers can't describe how their church defines a mature believer.
An overwhelming 81 percent of Christians polled equate spiritual maturity with "trying hard to follow the rules described in the Bible." Perhaps the most shocking statistic is that only 30 percent believed having a relationship with Jesus defines spiritual maturity. Other elements included living a moral lifestyle (14 percent), applying the Bible (12 percent) and sharing your faith with others (6 percent).
Another survey administered to pastors reveals that nearly 90 percent of pastors believe that a lack of spiritual maturity is a significant problem in the United States, yet a minority of them said that this is not a problem in their own church.
An
article in Ministry Today suggests that the reason why many Christians cannot articulate what it means to be a mature Christian is because pastors often fail to explain this concept to their congregation. Less than half of the churches represented in the survey possess written documents explaining what it means to be a mature Christian. When asked to specify particular sections of the Bible that outline what spiritual maturity means, three-fourths of pastors interviewed gave generic responses including "the whole Bible," "the gospels," "the New Testament," and "Paul's letters." Only one-fifth of the pastors surveyed pointed to a specific Bible verse that pointed to what spiritual maturity means.
The writer of the
Ministry Today article believes that the first step in clarifying the definition of spiritual maturity for today's Christians is for pastors to acknowledge that their measuring system is lacking. According to the article, the majority of pastors surveyed consider themselves "moderately satisfied" with their current methods and standards.
What do you think spiritual maturity means for Christians? Why do you think many Christians today have trouble defining it? Do you think pastors are responsible for this problem, as argued in the article, or do you place the blame elsewhere?
Comments (1)
1 - Reading God's word and praying daily.
2 - Truly repenting when you sin.
3 - Having a willingness to trust God with your life.
4 - Showing love, grace, and mercy towards others as much as possible.
People that struggle could be a combination of their lack of love for God and pastors not exhorting on it more.