As I look back over 2020, I must acknowledge that much of my focus was on what was going on in my body, those autoimmune diseases that daily captured my attention so well. I must also admit that I did not grow spiritually as much as I would have liked, and that I did not give the attention needed to the ministry entrusted to me.
As I look at the old year and the new year in front of me, I know I must do things differently. One of the “let us” phrases in the book of Hebrews speaks of “going on to maturity.”
“Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” [Hebrews 6:1-2 HCSB]
When we surrender our lives to Christ Jesus, we commit to becoming “conformed to His image.” [Romans 8:29]
In essence that means we commit to modeling Jesus to our world in both our words and our actions. Our responses to the circumstances and trials of life are to be the same as Jesus’ would be. That means developing maturity.
Maturity does not just happen all by itself. It requires us to make a decision to pursue it, and then follow that decision with dedication. Dedication implies consistency, self-discipline, and perseverance. When our circumstances become difficult or demanding, it is not always easy to follow through on that decision.
And isn’t that exactly where we always fail with “New Year’s Resolutions” – easy to resolve, difficult to maintain the follow through. But spiritual maturity is not the same as resolutions to eat right or spend less, it is far more important. Becoming like Christ Jesus is essential if we are to fulfill our God-given purpose as children of God.
So “let us” not just resolve to but be firmly dedicated to “go on to maturity.”
