Life Experience Does Not Equal Maturity
(Monroe Quarry)
I’ve met a lot of old people who, simply because of their long life, have a lot of life experience. While this is true, it does not mean they are mature people. I’ve met 70-year-olds who haven’t developed maturationally beyond middle school. I conclude that life experience does not equal maturity.
Maturity, from a Jesus-standpoint, is the Greek word teleios. Teleios means, literally, “purpose” or “end” or “goal.” Maturity is the achieving and achievement of one’s life purpose. For the Jesus-follower, this is a move towards Christlikeness and Kingdom living and Kingdom-advancement.
“Mature” is often used of fruit. When fruit is mature, it means it’s ready to be picked. It’s ripe. And the reason it’s ripe is because it has spent its lifetime attached to the source of its life, which is the branch or vine. If fruit falls off the vine the maturing process stops.
The kind of maturity the follower of Jesus only happens as one is attached to Jesus, conncted to Him, who is the source of our life. A person could live their entire life disconnected from God and Jesus, and be spiritually immature. And one could have lived in Christ for just a few years and be growing in maturity because they are connected to him.