Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ.”  We live in a world today that is obsessed with speed and instant results.  Our lives and leadership take time, exercise and experiences.  We must look to systematic growth and stability, more than quickness and drive-through windows.  No one starts at the top: not a head football coach, army general, senior pastor or president.  Spiritual maturity is the process of becoming more like Christ and his fullness in our personal character.  We have an eternal destination but it will take our lifetime to make the journey.  We want quick fixes, short cuts and one-time experiences to make us mature.  That cannot happen like it cannot happen for you to become a mature or expert swimmer by jumping in the pool and paddling to the other end a few times.  Real maturity takes time, repetition, execution and experience just like an athlete requires for maturity. 

God works the same way in our lives and we are to grow up, not grow old, in Christ.  He leads us little by little and step by step.  It is a principle of God’s personal relationship and leading us like He did with the Children of Israel.  Deuteronomy 7: 22 “The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little.”  Why does God work this way?  One is for us to not be overwhelmed as it takes time to grow and mature to handle bigger issues in life.  Second, if He gave us all He wants us to have at one time, we would take our eyes off Him and begin to act on our own.  Continued maturity requires us to be dependent on Him.  Third, we could become satisfied, maybe even conceited and self-righteous, and not continue to grow and mature.  God is not finished with any of us until we get to heaven, so keep growing at every age of life.  It takes a humble, teachable spirit to keep maturing and it’s a long journey to our eternal destination.  Take it one step at a time, but do not stop, stand still or jump off the one road that leads home.