One Key Sign of Spiritual Maturity

There are so many blogs out there with lists - 7 Keys to... 3 Signs of... Top 10 Ways To...Most of them are well-written and well-intentioned but to me it seems like every step out of the 3, 7, or 10 leads to a whole host of new questions. The questions may be unanswerable, or they may be questions that really only apply to certain contexts or situations. In any case, there is a high possibility of walking away from the list and feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.

In other words, feeling like a Chicago Cubs fan.

So I decided to purposely introduce a thought in this post that is BUILT and INTENDED to elicit questions - I wanted to throw on the table what is for me a key sign that maturity is taking place. I'm not going to give much commentary but instead I hope that this one sign will inspire discussion and debate that ultimately opens new doors of formation into Christ-likeness.

So much of the Christian faith is presumed to be about "do's" and "don'ts." It's hard to get through the ten commandments or Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5-7 and not feel like the battle lines are drawn around ethics and behaviors. I don't disagree with that - but I think Jesus elevates the discussion beyond the simple "Do good not bad" mantra.

One key sign of spiritual maturity is that we cease to focus on either "do" or "don't" and begin instead to look at multiple "do's" and pray for the wisdom and grace to move toward the "do" that is most pleasing to God.

When we shape our lives around choosing the best of the good, we are entering ground where God can cultivate our faith and obedience beyond simple "sin-management."

What say ye to my one key sign?