Spiritual Maturity

I confess that sometimes I get upset with Katie's kids because they just don't behave the way I think they should. Katie tells me that I am expecting them to act like adults, but they can't because they are kids. She says that kids do not think like adults or act like adults.



I know all this. Children have limited cognitive abilities and limited maturity levels. Children are constantly learning and growing. I taught middle school students for five years and didn't seem to have trouble understanding a child's limited knowledge and maturity. This is one of those examples of having the "brain" knowledge about children, but now that I live with kids, well, it's just different. I guess it was easier to send kids home at 3:00 and let the parent's deal!



At SaLT with WaLT the other night, I learned some small but important lessons. One of which I shared in an earlier post. In that post however, I did not share the conviction that I received that night.



At the top of page 76 of A Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren writes "Parents do not require their children to be perfect, or even mature, in order to enjoy them. They enjoy them at every stage of development. In the same way, God doesn't wait for you to reach maturity before he starts liking you. He loves and enjoys you are every stage of your spiritual development."



This spoke volumes to me for a few reasons. One reason is the fact that I am so easily frustrated with the kids. I realized that my love for them is somewhat conditional. I am ashamed of that. I love Katie's kids very much and they know that, but sometimes my expectations for them are beyond what they can deliver. Through reading this I have learned that my expectations for them are unreasonable and are unfair. It may be because I am not a parent and do not relate to them as if I were a parent. As a matter of fact I call myself the "not the mom". I know that because God has placed them in my life for this season, that I do have responsibility in raising them. They live in my house and I care for them in the limited capacity that a "not the mom" can care for them. I am learning that I need to love them despite the fact that they are kids and drive me crazy! Parents are simply amazing.



So, that got me thinking about the fact that God does indeed love me at the maturity level I am at now. He loves me no different today then he did the very first moment I stepped into the Kingdom. I have grown a lot since my first days on the "milk", and God has shown me love through every moment. In my spiritual walk I have made some wrong turns and acted in shameful ways and God's love for me has never waned. It can't. It won't. From my first baby steps to my current walk, He is loving me at this stage in my spiritual journey.



I love Katie's kids. I want to love them with the love of God! I want to love them with a love that accepts them at whatever stage they are at and with a love that enjoys them through every growing moment, because that is what Love does for me!