On Spiritual Maturity Part 1

We need to agree on what we are talking about.

Spiritual maturity is a funny thing. Most Christians desire it. We often discuss it in our communities. And yet, like discipleship (which I’ve written about before), it suffers from a chronic vagueness: we want to be mature, but we rarely define what we mean by it. Worse still, we often import ideas—consciously or unconsciously—that have little to do with biblical maturity.

This matters deeply. In the context of disciple-making, we need clarity on what it means to be a disciple—and by extension, what it means to be a mature one. Without a clear definition, we’re left vulnerable to being swayed by the loudest voices or the latest ideas.

Why Do Conversations About Maturity Feel So Directionless?

Why do conversations about spiritual maturity often feel directionless? Why can one person in a community experience deep growth while another feels spiritually starved?

Part of the issue is that we confuse knowledge with maturity. This is a by-product of our education systems, which often prioritize the acquisition of information over mastery and formation. While knowledge is an important component of Christian maturity, it is not the most important one. As James reminds us, even the demons know the truth. Information alone does not produce maturity.

In our digital age, we have near-infinite access to theological resources—sermons, podcasts, books, and more. These often introduce novel ideas that, while interesting, can leave us feeling dissatisfied with what we’re receiving in our local communities. We start to believe that we’re being spiritually malnourished, and begin to resent our communities for it.

Inherited Theologies and Cultural Assumptions

Adding to the confusion, much of our theological landscape is still shaped by the Reformation and Enlightenment. The dominant voices—especially in North America—tend to be Reformed, which often emphasizes precise theological language and right belief. While there’s much good here, this emphasis can subtly prioritize correct grammar over faithful action. As a result, even those outside the Reformed tradition may find themselves more focused on saying the right things than on living them out.

We're also deeply shaped by the legacy of clericalism—a system that separates ordinary believers from the so-called spiritual elite. New believers quickly absorb the unbiblical idea that formal theological education is a prerequisite for spiritual maturity or leadership in the church. The New Testament, however, contains no instructions for seminaries or formal institutions beyond the local church. These structures can be helpful, but we must recognize that many of our assumptions about maturity are culturally based rather than scripturally grounded. The early church had a fraction of the resources we do, yet it was more than capable of developing spiritually mature disciples.

Spiritual Maturity is Our Responsibility

Another barrier is our discomfort with the slow and sometimes silent work of formation. There are long seasons in the Christian life that feel uneventful—where we gather, pray, read, and feel...nothing. It’s easy to conclude in these moments that we are not growing. But as with learning a sport or practicing an instrument, maturity often comes through repetition in the mundane. If we don’t value these plateaus and valleys, we’ll miss how powerfully the Lord uses perseverance to shape us. The experience of a faith plateau does not automatically mark or indicate that we are spiritually stagnant. In fact, it is likely part of how the Lord is shaping us.

Perhaps the most significant barrier to maturity is the belief that it is someone else’s job to mature us. In a discipleship community, we do take responsibility for one another’s growth, but no preacher, discipler, or mentor can ultimately take responsibility for our formation. Spiritual maturity requires learning to self-feed, rather than expecting to be spoon-fed.

To develop spiritually mature disciples, we need clarity on what spiritual maturity is and how we confuse it with unrelated pursuits or misunderstand how the Lord might be working in us or others to grow their roots.

Next week, I’ll write a follow-up piece that expands on the above items that cloud our thinking to outline a clear picture of how the call to spiritual maturity can function as a part of an invitation to a long-term commitment to mastery of the basics within a covenantal community.

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