God's goal for all Christians is spiritual maturity. By following Jesus' example, we can learn to lead.

Part 2: Galatians 5:16-18

Time to grow up

"Show me the money!" This phrase made popular by actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie Jerry McGuire is probably the theme we hear in our stewardship campaigns this time of year. Let me challenge you to imagine that this year's stewardship campaign is a test of our spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is demonstrated in our willingness to live as God wants us to live. Stewardship begins by recognizing that we are accountable in our lives to God. This does not imply that we are perfect, but the Scriptures remind us that when we do our best to be accountable to God, God will provide for our shortcomings. The writer of Hebrews echoes this theme with assurance as he writes, "Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16).

A few years ago I was sitting with a father and his son. It was a low moment. The son had not lived up to the father's expectations. He did not want to work and was leading a troubled life. He had quit college after his second year and exhibited some habits that were not in keeping with his upbringing. As the three of us talked the tension mounted. Both the father and son became angry. Deeply frustrated, the father looked his son in the eye and asked, "Son, when are you going to grow up?"

This was Paul's question to the church in Galatia. He was challenging some followers who failed to realize that their "pedigree" and social standing did not offer them an exemption from faithful stewardship. We also need to be reminded that God is not concerned about our claims to power because we offer significant financial contributions or time commitments to the church. Such an assumption represents a lack of spiritual maturity because the focus is on us, not God. In his book Spiritual Maturity: Preserving Congregational Health and Balance * Frank Thomas writes:

"Maturity based on love rather than knowledge is a radical and revolutionary concept for most of us. The term knowledge is representative of all the human efforts we make in a competitive world to establish, justify, and make ourselves better than others around us. Usually we base maturity on knowledge, human effort, ingenuity, or accomplishments.

"Sometimes knowledge is just an exaltation of ourselves based on what we know about the Scriptures or secular human wisdom. Other times we laud orthodoxy of belief: then he or she is spiritually superior. Other times we value the size of people's financial contributions to the church or how long they or their families have been in service to the church. We use these kinds of markers to establish the 'spiritual ones.'

"Spiritual maturity always focuses on God first. Our financial generosity to the church is needed. However, God is calling us to "grow up" so that we can capture the essence of giving through spiritual maturity.

When we grow up in the Lord, we recognize that God wants to claim our hearts for the gospel. It is then that our money and time represent an outpouring of our love for the Almighty.

Are you ready to grow up?

* Fortress Press, (c)2002 (www.augsburgfortress.org).