Does more Bible Knowledge equal Spiritual Maturity?

It's kind of a weird question, if you think about it.  It's like asking - If a person understood all the strategies, rules and ins-and-outs of the game of hockey, would they be a great hockey player?  I wish it were that simple, cause I'd be pretty good!  Now don't get me wrong, understanding the game is an important thing, but there's a lot more that goes into being a 'great hockey player' than head knowledge.  And I think it's true when it comes to a life of faith as well.

Here's what I mean... It's possible to have 'the best' theology and understanding of the Bible in the world, and be nothing like Christ.  It's possible to memorize Scripture, randomly quote the Bible in conversations, even win 'theological debates' -  and act nothing like Christ.  It's possible to listen to sermon after sermon, attend church Sunday morning after Sunday morning, and inside remain unchanged.  It's even possible to have squeaky clean morals and 'rarely sin', but be incredibly spiritually immature.  Just look at the Pharisees.   This is part of what infuriated Jesus and caused him to call them a 'brood of vipers' and other fun things.  You can have all the Bible knowledge in the world and remain completely alienated from the heart of God.

So, what do you think?  What does spiritual maturity actually look like?

A Way Out

I remember hearing someone say once that, "The Bible says that God won't let anything happen to me that I can't handle... and since I couldn't handle having a baby with a disability, I don't think God will ever let that happen to me." ... that's pretty messed up thinking. I mean, seriously, things happen to people all the time that they probably thought that they couldn't handle. That's just the reality of life!

I thought of this conversation because last night, at group, we talked a bit about the Bible verse that this person was referring to, 1 Corinthians 10:13, "And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

First, it's interesting how we often take Bible verses like these and twist them into meaning something that it really doesn't mean. i.e. "God won't let anything happen to me that I can't handle." Umm...not even close!  This verse is actually addressing our struggle with sin - 'temptations' - not difficult life circumstances.  And, whatever the struggle is that we are facing - God is allowing us to face it because he knows that we can handle it.  "You can stand" as the verse says.

Second, and this is some of what we talked about last night - God always provides us a way out in our struggles. Not that our struggles will just disappear if we pray harder & harder, but that God will show us a way out so that we don't have to give into our struggles any longer.  And often, the way out that God provides for us is found in.......wait for it......EACH OTHER!  Real community. Open and honest friendships. People who care about us and want to see God's best for us.  Unfortunately, too many of us struggle alone - in isolation - hoping that God will just some how heal us and take away our struggles. Too many Christians think that faith is only an individual/personal thing.  Meanwhile God is waiting for us to take the initiative and to reach out to the community of people that he has placed around us and to say that four lettered word that we all hate to say.... "H-E-L-P!"

Indispensable

We are all indispensable.  That's right, I just said that - INDISPENSABLE.  There's this belief out there that "God doesn't need me" and that "I'm replaceable" and that "no one is 'indispensable'".  Every heard anyone (yourself?!) say something like this before?

While the humble heart attitude behind this is great, the idea that "no one is 'indispensable'" is simply not true.  The truth, as I see it, is that the church isn't being the church unless everyone is playing their part.  That means that no one is replaceable.  No one is dispensable.  YOU have a unique contribution to make.  YOU were designed by God to play a significant, unique part in God's redemptive plan for our world.  YOU were chosen, before God even created the planet, to do good works for Him... And if you don't do it, no one else will do it for you.  There is only one you!

So...what are you waiting for??!

(For a different/way-better-than-mine perspective on this, check out Seth Godin's great book "Linchpins")