"SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY and EFFECTIVENESS of BEDTIME STORIES!"

       Many churchgoers and faith leaders struggle to define "spiritual maturity (SM)." Of course, the opposite of this paradigm is "spiritual immaturity (SI)" which undoubtedly is the "prevailing spirit" in the modern day IC. In the US, we have perhaps the largest infrastructure to nurture SI over most places on the planet. We boast hundreds of thousands of churches, an equal number of statewide conferences, organizations, colleges and seminaries as well as a plethora of "Christian" products, resources and an unending chain of "life coaches" (which is a new revenue stream for the prosperity preachers who don’t know the Word of God well enough to preach it).

        Why is it so difficult for people who spend an average of eight to 20 hours per week on "church stuff" to grow into SM? It is because "the preachers can’t teach what they don’t know!" This just blows me away. Why does someone who has been in the church for ten years or more still need the preacher to read them "bed time stories" (my definition for lazy Christians who don’t take the time to read the bible for themselves and are subject to the interpretation of the preacher who might be manipulating them)?

                                      Momma reading little Mikey a "bedtime story."


        You see, when my kids were little they enjoyed bedtime stories because they couldn’t read. I could tell them anything and they would believe it. I changed the story every night. If I was tired and didn’t feel like reading the entire story, I shortened the story. They didn’t know any better because they couldn’t read. They really enjoyed the pictures in the book, but they could not read or comprehend the words. Over a period of time, and as they got older (matured), they learned to read for themselves.

       They "graduated" from the fairy tales to fiction and non-fiction, as they were able to tell the difference between the two because they studied, practiced and subsequently learned their native language. As a result, I don’t read to my kids anymore, since they are literate (not to mention how much it would offend them) and have matured well beyond nursery rhymes and fables. Now, the ONLY way they don’t know something or don’t learn something is because they DON’T READ IT; it is NOT because they CAN’T read it! You see where I’m going with this?

      Welcome to the IC. There is a pervasive spirit of SI in the modern day church because Christians DON’T READ! The number one enemy of SM is laziness or apathy. Christians want their Pastors to lead them on the path to SM and the people allow them to do it! Week after week, Christians file into the sanctuary ("mortuary") to listen to the preacher. They take copious notes and sit fixated on the pulpit waiting for revelation to pour forth like rivers of living water.

       They sing a few songs, give their offering, hug a few folks and then head to the car. I guarantee you more than 90% of these people NEVER open their bibles again until the next time they come to church! Now that is pitiful isn’t it? But this is the place we have created for God in our spiritual lives.

       In order for SM to occur, there must be a clear directive on the goals and objectives of the paths to righteousness set forth by the teacher. The student, in turn, must commit to a regiment of diligence and foster relationships with fellow believers who also hunger and thirst for an intimate relationship with God.