Maturity?

Last week, we spent 48 hours with the other InterVarsity Area Directors in New England on a "spiritual formation" retreat. These times are immensely valuable to us in our ministry. As we call students to transformation, God does the same to us.

My major "a-ha" moment this past retreat was realizing my underlying belief that as I gain more experience and our ministry grows, I ought to be better able to "figure things out", to have more know-how and competency out of which to operate. That seems harmless enough at first glance, and is largely how the world operates.

But the underlying harm in this is believing that I should somehow need God less as time goes on, when in fact the very opposite is true. As our ministry grows and impacts more and more lives, I need more wisdom, more love, more power from God than I ever have before!

So often "maturity" is defined by becoming less needy and more independent. But in the case of spiritual life and leadership, I'm starting to realize that maturity means a deeper dependence and embrace of just how much I need from Jesus, apart from whom I can do nothing.

-Paul