As responsibilities and maturity increase in the life of faith the subtleties of temptation also increase and the urgency of having a spiritual director increases.
--Eugene Peterson
Assuming that this is an accurate assessment of the "normal Christian life," does it change your idea of what maturity is meant to look like?
On the surface there may be little difference between a maturity based on people pleasing and that which springs from surrender to the Spirit of God. The latter, however, takes one into unknown, unfamiliar territory where it can become difficult to maintain one's poise. It is a risk to release control of one's life and consent to God's transforming presence. When God shines light on our inner reality it can feel as if we've regressed into an earlier stage of development.
In my life with God I am finding that my freedom has increased and curiously along with it so has the possibility of error. I like to say that if you're not making mistakes you're only half alive. And perhaps the freedom to make mistakes is a part of the child-likeness that opens the gates of the Kingdom. But a child needs loving boundaries and honest mirroring. Spiritual direction is a terrific place to play, to discover and to grow.
--Eugene Peterson
Assuming that this is an accurate assessment of the "normal Christian life," does it change your idea of what maturity is meant to look like?
On the surface there may be little difference between a maturity based on people pleasing and that which springs from surrender to the Spirit of God. The latter, however, takes one into unknown, unfamiliar territory where it can become difficult to maintain one's poise. It is a risk to release control of one's life and consent to God's transforming presence. When God shines light on our inner reality it can feel as if we've regressed into an earlier stage of development.
In my life with God I am finding that my freedom has increased and curiously along with it so has the possibility of error. I like to say that if you're not making mistakes you're only half alive. And perhaps the freedom to make mistakes is a part of the child-likeness that opens the gates of the Kingdom. But a child needs loving boundaries and honest mirroring. Spiritual direction is a terrific place to play, to discover and to grow.
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