Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity Part 1 - Handling the Word "NO"

Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity Part 1 - Handling the Word "NO"

Three Signs of Spiritual Maturity

I was talking to Lon Solomon, the pastor of McLean Bible Church, at a meeting a few days ago and he shared (as he often does) some great pearls of wisdom with me. He said – and I am paraphrasing here – “You will find out a lot about a person’s spiritual maturity based on how they handle the word “no,” how they respond to crisis and loss, and how they spend their money.” He offered this little tidbit in the middle of an otherwise unrelated conversation. I know many of us have heard one, two, or even all three of these markers of spiritual maturity before but they’re always worth contemplating.

So ask yourself, “How do I handle the word “NO!”” The ability to handle a “no” when you really want something is of course a sign of maturity in general but when we ask this of believers it gives us an indication of the believer’s faith in God’s provision. Will God provide for me in His own time? Is God watching over me when my boss says “no” to my promotion? Does God truly care for me even when I ask him to heal me from an illness and the answer, at least for now, is “no?” As a Christ-follower and a pastor, I still find it hard to hear the word “no” especially when I believe my pursuit is righteous. But, I always remember two Scriptures from Jonah:
“The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah…” (Jonah 1:17)”
“…the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give him shade to ease his discomfort…” (Jonah 4:6)
God provision for Jonah came in the form of both trial and rest. In the same way God’s provision comes in both the “yes” and the “no.” How we handle the provision of a “no” says a great deal about our faith in God. (For that matter, how we handle the provision of a “yes” says volumes as well but we’ll save that for another time).

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net

For those of you who are reading along with me in Colossians, here is the passage for this post:

The Supremacy of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.