There is a verse, which inspired a song, that tells us that there "is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance." As I mature in years, and hopefully in wisdom, the more powerful that truth becomes. Spiritual immaturity, to make no mention of spiritual dearth, is often demonstrated by an inability to react appropriately to the different situations of life. Then again, immaturity generally produces a lack of nuance. A lack of familiarity, or experience, with any given thing reveals itself in a lack of nuance. Young children, being mentally immature, cannot understand why they are not allowed to do the things that their older siblings may do. The grammatically immature do not know that they are misusing their own language. Someone who has never watched baseball can't tell the difference between a slider and a fastball, and my lovely wife, bless her heart, still identifies automobiles primarily by their color.
Just as immaturity, or inexperience, in life reveals itself in a lack of nuance, so spiritual immaturity reveals itself in the inability to respond to life's situations appropriately. The immature person does not properly contemplate his mortality at a funeral, nor does he reflect on his vows at a wedding. He does not know when to keep his mouth shut and when to speak up boldly. He does not mourn over sin and rejoice over righteousness. He has one speed. He laughs...or he weeps. He dances at all times...or never at all. Many times he treats life as one big game. He does not have an internal guide that causes him to consider the moment and to react accordingly. His soul lacks nuance.
God wants all of His children to mature spiritually. In Isaiah 22:12-13 He chides them for failing to respond appropriately to His admonitions. We read:
God was not calling judgment upon them because enjoying life is wrong. In fact, there are many times in the Bible where God commands His people to hold festivals and to revel in His provision! His people, however, were rejoicing when they should have been mourning. Wickedness abounded and judgment was impending, and the response God was seeking was mourning and repentance. Had they been spiritually mature, they would have considered their ways and turned to God, but instead they responded as the pagans would have, with fatalistic revelry.
I fear that this passage applies to my generation of believers all too well. We Millennials don't understand why our fathers view us as irreverent and disrespectful, but it may have something to do with our spiritual immaturity. We lack nuance. We are absolutely, without a doubt, in love with entertainment, and that passion has certainly spilled over into our version of Christianity. If your worship, information, lifestyle, etc. is not stimulating in a way that keeps our attention, we have no use for it. We don't know when to laugh and when to cry. We don't know when to tell a joke and when to be serious. If you chide us, we insist that we are rejecting your baseless societal norms, but this is not about bowing to or bucking societal norms, it's about growing up!
One of the New Testament's most pervasive themes is sobriety. Peter, Paul, and others advocate not simply temperance in drink, but in life. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Life is a serious matter. There are times when we can laugh and rejoice, and there are times when we are called to be contemplative and serious. One sign of spiritual maturity is knowing when to do which.
Just as immaturity, or inexperience, in life reveals itself in a lack of nuance, so spiritual immaturity reveals itself in the inability to respond to life's situations appropriately. The immature person does not properly contemplate his mortality at a funeral, nor does he reflect on his vows at a wedding. He does not know when to keep his mouth shut and when to speak up boldly. He does not mourn over sin and rejoice over righteousness. He has one speed. He laughs...or he weeps. He dances at all times...or never at all. Many times he treats life as one big game. He does not have an internal guide that causes him to consider the moment and to react accordingly. His soul lacks nuance.
God wants all of His children to mature spiritually. In Isaiah 22:12-13 He chides them for failing to respond appropriately to His admonitions. We read:
In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth, and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
God was not calling judgment upon them because enjoying life is wrong. In fact, there are many times in the Bible where God commands His people to hold festivals and to revel in His provision! His people, however, were rejoicing when they should have been mourning. Wickedness abounded and judgment was impending, and the response God was seeking was mourning and repentance. Had they been spiritually mature, they would have considered their ways and turned to God, but instead they responded as the pagans would have, with fatalistic revelry.
I fear that this passage applies to my generation of believers all too well. We Millennials don't understand why our fathers view us as irreverent and disrespectful, but it may have something to do with our spiritual immaturity. We lack nuance. We are absolutely, without a doubt, in love with entertainment, and that passion has certainly spilled over into our version of Christianity. If your worship, information, lifestyle, etc. is not stimulating in a way that keeps our attention, we have no use for it. We don't know when to laugh and when to cry. We don't know when to tell a joke and when to be serious. If you chide us, we insist that we are rejecting your baseless societal norms, but this is not about bowing to or bucking societal norms, it's about growing up!
One of the New Testament's most pervasive themes is sobriety. Peter, Paul, and others advocate not simply temperance in drink, but in life. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Life is a serious matter. There are times when we can laugh and rejoice, and there are times when we are called to be contemplative and serious. One sign of spiritual maturity is knowing when to do which.
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