Maturity. 

    In order to be who we were meant to be in Christ, we need to leave the bottle behind and grow in Him.  We need to seek Him more and be in fellowship with other believers, we need to open up and allow Him to change us, and often ask Him to ruin us so that we can rid ourselves of who we are and become who He has called us to be.  In focusing on the word "maturity" this week, I have come to the conclusion that one way of being mature in Christ is to be a doer of the Word.  Now, I know that might be obvious, but if it is so, then why do we struggle with it so much? 

    Maturity is picking your battles wisely, it's learning when to listen and when to speak, it's following what God is asking you to do, it's knowing what you need to do and doing it (because if you don't, it is a sin just as much as doing something you know to be wrong), it's learning to fight when you need to fight and allowing God to fight for you when it is His time, it's listening to what God is saying to you.  Maturity is having quiet time on your own, it's finding time to pray and praying throughout the day, it's accepting who you are through the eyes of God and forgetting who the world says you are.  Maturity is speaking up when you don't feel you have the strength to, and standing up even if you're alone.  Maturity is taking steps of faith and taking risks even though you might fail.  Maturity is becoming who you've been called to be, and accepting that.

    I don't know, the more I think about it, the more I realize how spiritually immature I am a lot of times.  I'm realizing that I need to cling to God a lot more, and let go of the grip I have on myself.  But at the same time, I'm realizing how much I have matured over the past few months of being here in South Africa.  And I am excited to see what God has in store for me today and tomorrow, and the next day and the next and...