What is your opinion about "Spiritual Maturity"?

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   revmjmposted 13 years ago

   What is your opinion about "Spiritual Maturity"?
   
   I am facilitating a workshop based on "Spiritual Maturity." If you were attending that workshop, what would you expect to hear or learn?

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2. 62

   CDL Career Coachposted 13 years ago

   I'm not sure what I'd expect to hear at a workshop, but the one thing that comes to mind that I expect to see in someone that makes me believe they are spiritually mature is that they are comfortable with what they believe. They are no longer "seeking" trying every new thing that comes along, Nor are they trying to convince everyone that disagrees with them that their way is the only right one.  If I was outlining it that would be the 3 main stages of spiritual growth.  Maybe also a  4th of not yet aware of any kind of spirituality.

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3. 0

   DrDeanCrosbyposted 13 years ago

   "Spiritual maturity" can be accessed from a number of points of view.Those who place a great deal of importance on organized religion will likely  say that maturity is based on years of church attendance as well as rank or titles one has earned inside the church structure.By this standard the BTK killer,a mass murderer, certainly was near the zenith of his spiritual maturity due to the years of his faithful church attendance and his elected position of church president.In fact because he was the church president ,he had the keys to the church entrance doors which allowed him to bring one of his victims into the church late at night so that he could rape her behind  the pulpit.
   
   Another more logical definition of "spiritual maturity" is the demonstration of Jesus' love and compassion.The problem with this one is that many non-Christians and even atheists are amazingly generous in their giving and acts of charity,thus fulfilling Jesus' mandate to "be your brother's keeper".On the other hand many who call themselves Christians are remarkably uncharitable in their giving.In fact I've learned that the easiest way to make many Christians livid with anger is to mention just one word;"tithe".
   
   It makes much more sense to adopt God's definition of "spiritual maturity".When He determines that individuals are sufficiently free of sin and most importantly,filled with an abundance of faith,He sends His Holy Spirit to them which assures them that they are finally walking on the narrow path that leads to salvation. To show us the absolute necessity of this experience,God made His own Son go  through it as He transformed  His Son's humanity into divinity.
   
   Matthew 3:16
   
   So Jesus was baptized and as soon as He came out of the water, the sky opened, and He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.
   
   And what are the signs of this "spiritual maturity"?
   
   1 Corinthians 12:8-10
   
   8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

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4. 59

   legallchewposted 13 years ago

   i believe that when a person is at peace regardless of his/her current emotional state - that's spiritual maturity.
   
   i think that is like faith that in times of trouble or darkness you know that the sun will rise even if you can't see it.
   
   and that in times of joy there is Someone sharing that joy with you.

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5. 61

   Dave Mathewsposted 13 years ago

   I am not sure that "Spiritual Maturity" can truly be obtained or is obtainable. I would be looking for someone who appears to be liked and respected as one who is knowledgable in guiding others to God.
   
   One person [other than Jesus or Paul the Apostle] comes to mind as a modern day example, Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministry in Atlanta Georgia. I watch his Sunday sermons and I have found him to be the closest thing to a true Christian any person can possibly be, at least on the air.

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6. 0

   AMBASSADOR BUTLERposted 13 years ago

   No opinion here. Just the fact from the throne room of GOD. Spiritual Maturity is simply this: knowing and walking with GOD moment by moment and speaking with authority out of an intimate relationship with GOD. I am bold because I am fulfilling my purpose that GOD have for me and I out of my free will am fulfilling GOD purpose through hubpages and google adsense. This did not happened overnight for me but GOD have set me apart and prepared me for this before I ever heard of hubpages when back on August 1, 1982 A.D. a Sunday morning GOD shown me in a vision the other side of death. It is glorious.

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7. 78

   FaithDreamposted 13 years ago

   What a great question! I would expect this person knew the Bible and not only knew it, but lived it, with humble grace. God gives the believer spiritual gifts and I would expect this workshop would illustrate some of those gifts.
   
   Spiritual leaders have a great responsibility and it should not be taken lightly. We are accountable for our actions, so prayer over this workshop should be first.

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8. 0

   SirDentposted 13 years ago

   Spiritual maturity comes when a person gets to the point that nothing surprises him/her.  When a person is able to help others who are in need of spiritual counseling.  When a person is able to see past the things that young chirstians do that are wrong and see the good that will come out of them. 
   
   It comes when a person is able to help a brother or sister along when they fall.  It comes when a person is able to feed a brother or sister when they are in the wilderness.

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9. 66

   Thesourceposted 13 years ago

   To me Spiritual Maturity is the ability to respect spiritual beliefs of others even when it contradicts to one's own beliefs.
   
   This is assuming the the beliefs of others are peaceful and non-violent. Today we see Islamic terrorists and Christian fundamentalist who do not respect the basic religious rights of others. These groups are not spiritually mature.

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10. 58

    Greenheartposted 13 years ago

    I think that spiritual maturity is fundamentally about communion with the Divine. This has got to be the basis. I think we often start the other way round, based on behaviour and ritual as a hope to 'get there'. I feel that if we are not presently intuiting or feeling our true condition, then we are eternally searching for it. And never finding it.
    So,being in touch with the real Divine is what i would want to "learn".
    Have a great workshop.
    Love,
    Gavin

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