Spiritual Maturity
There is an old joke that says, “Everything I needed to know, I learned in kindergarten.” It is a joke because even teenagers know they didn’t know enough after kindergarten to ‘get along’ in the world. How much is enough? High school? College? It isn’t about learning. It is about maturity.
If all we needed to know to ‘get through’ life was what we learned in kindergarten, then so much of our daily lives would be impossible. Sure, knowing how to wash our hands and how to write our name is helpful, but there’s more. Some even say we must first know what we don’t know.
BRETHREN, when I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one interprets, so that the church may be edified.
1st Corinthians 13:11-14;14:1-5
We all know a kindergarten education isn’t enough. So, why do we think what we learned in Sunday School would be enough to ‘get through’ life as Orthodox adults? No matter how old we are, maturity reminds us of what we do not know. There is much we do not know, but that’s ok.
At that time, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 17:24-27; 18:1-4
We don’t have to know everything to be good Orthodox Christians. If we understand that we need to leave our childlike knowledge behind, without loosing our childlike innocence, we will be with God in heaven.
The difference between knowledge and wisdom is maturity. As we age, we realize how much we lack. We realize how little we knew ‘back when’ we thought we knew everything. With maturity, each stage of life is characterized by this sobering realization.
We still have so much to know about life, but also about God. Children have more faith in God not because they are smarter but because they haven’t learned to doubt. Children still trust those around them. Adults tend not to trust anyone. We have replaced trust with learning.
Sometimes we must stop ‘learning about God’ and get back to trusting Him like children. I say sometimes because God is always speaking to our hearts and revealing more about Himself to us. Sometimes we need to put the books away and ‘just live’ with God for a while like children.
Maturity reminds us that not everything comes from learning. Some things, sometimes great things, come from living. If we want to experience great things with God, that happens only in living with Him. We call that being in communion with Him.
Children trust their parents because they experience their love and protection. If we want to trust God more, then we must experience His love and protection like children. We must feel His presence, holding our hand, like our Father. That requires maturity, not learning.
In honor of Saint Kyrikos who was martyred at three years of age, and commemorated today, I invite you to put away your books for a while and ‘just live’ the faith with God. If you want to read books, read the Bible. If you have fallen into the trap of believing you must learn more and more and more, don’t panic.
God will bless you for ‘just living’ with Him for a while. The books will be there ‘waiting’ for you. In the meantime, your spiritual father can guide you in how to be closer to God without worrying so much about books. We call that spiritual maturity.
