Making Disciple Makers- Spiritual Child
Making Disciple Makers- Spiritual Children
Moving Beyond the Spiritual Playground: Understanding Where You Are in Your Faith Journey
Have you ever stopped to consider that while we might all be sitting in the same church service, reading the same Bible, and singing the same songs, we're not all in the same place spiritually? Just as children grow through distinct stages—from infancy to toddlerhood to adolescence—our spiritual lives follow a similar pattern of development. Understanding where we are in this journey isn't about judgment; it's about growth.
The Spiritual Child Stage: Where Most of Us Live
There's a stage in spiritual development that captures the largest portion of any congregation: the spiritual child stage. This isn't a criticism—it's simply a reality. Just as biological childhood spans a much longer period than infancy (think ages 2-13 versus 0-2), the spiritual child stage encompasses a broader spectrum and longer duration than spiritual infancy.
The Apostle John recognized these developmental stages when he wrote: "I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ...I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one" (1 John 2:12-13).
Notice how John addresses different groups? Children who have experienced forgiveness. The mature who know Christ intimately. The young who have claimed victory. Each represents a different place on the journey toward spiritual maturity.
Recognizing the Characteristics
People in the spiritual child stage are growing in their relationship with God. They're beginning to develop relationships with other Christians. They're applying God's Word to their lives and allowing others to walk beside them. That's all good news.
However—and this is the uncomfortable truth—it's still mostly about them. Their needs. Their comfort. Their preferences.
The phrases that roll off the tongue of spiritual children reveal this self-focus:
- "I'm not being fed at my church, so I'm going somewhere that meets my needs better."
- "The pastor looked right at me and didn't even say hello."
- "I didn't like the music today."
- "I love my small group—don't add any more people to it."
- "Don't branch my group into two groups. It's comfortable for me right now."
Sound familiar? Perhaps you've said something similar. Perhaps you've heard these sentiments expressed. The dominant theme is unmistakable: What about me?
The Path to Growth: Connection
So how do spiritual children mature? The answer is connection—deep, authentic connection on three levels.
**Connection to God at a Deeper Level**
When Jesus demonstrated servant leadership by washing His disciples' feet, He did so from a position of complete security. He "knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God" (John 13:3). Yet with all that authority, He chose to humble Himself and serve.
This is the model for spiritual growth: moving from self-centeredness to others-centeredness through humble service. It requires mature believers to carve out time in their schedules—not to add another program, but to invite someone into their existing life. Take someone with you when you're running errands. Share your heart during the drive. Listen to their struggles. Model what walking with Christ actually looks like in everyday moments.
**Connection to a Spiritual Family**
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us: "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another."
We need more than surface-level interactions. We need authentic relationships where we can be honest about our struggles, where someone knows us well enough to speak truth into our lives, where we can say "God is good, but right now I don't feel it" without being judged.
Here's a challenging truth: churches that fill their calendars with endless events may actually be undermining the disciple-making process. Events create activity and motion, but they don't necessarily create spiritual development. People have limited time. If every week is packed with programs and activities that keep relationships at a surface level, when will there be space for the deeper connections that transform lives?
This doesn't mean eliminating all events—it means creating balance and being intentional about facilitating environments where authentic relationship can flourish.
**Connection to Purpose**
Perhaps the most transformative realization is this: you have been saved FOR something, not simply FROM something.
Yes, we're saved from the dominion of sin and the wrath of God. But we're also saved for a purpose. God has placed you exactly where you are. He has gifted you with spiritual abilities. He has shaped you through every experience—the wonderful and the terrible—to share your story with people only you can reach.
As Paul wrote, "I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
Some of us are called to plant. Some to water. All of us are called to participate in the growth process, trusting God for the transformation.
Taking Inventory
Where are you today? Are you still in the spiritual nursery, having recently come to faith but not yet moving forward? Are you in the spiritual playground, growing but still primarily focused on your own needs and preferences? Or have you matured to the point where you're ready to invest in others?
There's no shame in honestly assessing where you are. The only shame is in refusing to grow.
The journey from spiritual childhood to maturity requires humility, authentic relationships, and a willingness to move beyond what's comfortable. It means recognizing that the Christian life isn't about collecting religious experiences or hopping from event to event—it's about transformation that happens in the context of real, messy, authentic relationships.
God's desire is for you to grow up spiritually—to become mature and complete in your relationship with Him. The question is: are you willing to take the next step?
Moving Beyond the Spiritual Playground: Understanding Where You Are in Your Faith Journey
Have you ever stopped to consider that while we might all be sitting in the same church service, reading the same Bible, and singing the same songs, we're not all in the same place spiritually? Just as children grow through distinct stages—from infancy to toddlerhood to adolescence—our spiritual lives follow a similar pattern of development. Understanding where we are in this journey isn't about judgment; it's about growth.
The Spiritual Child Stage: Where Most of Us Live
There's a stage in spiritual development that captures the largest portion of any congregation: the spiritual child stage. This isn't a criticism—it's simply a reality. Just as biological childhood spans a much longer period than infancy (think ages 2-13 versus 0-2), the spiritual child stage encompasses a broader spectrum and longer duration than spiritual infancy.
The Apostle John recognized these developmental stages when he wrote: "I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ...I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one" (1 John 2:12-13).
Notice how John addresses different groups? Children who have experienced forgiveness. The mature who know Christ intimately. The young who have claimed victory. Each represents a different place on the journey toward spiritual maturity.
Recognizing the Characteristics
People in the spiritual child stage are growing in their relationship with God. They're beginning to develop relationships with other Christians. They're applying God's Word to their lives and allowing others to walk beside them. That's all good news.
However—and this is the uncomfortable truth—it's still mostly about them. Their needs. Their comfort. Their preferences.
The phrases that roll off the tongue of spiritual children reveal this self-focus:
- "I'm not being fed at my church, so I'm going somewhere that meets my needs better."
- "The pastor looked right at me and didn't even say hello."
- "I didn't like the music today."
- "I love my small group—don't add any more people to it."
- "Don't branch my group into two groups. It's comfortable for me right now."
Sound familiar? Perhaps you've said something similar. Perhaps you've heard these sentiments expressed. The dominant theme is unmistakable: What about me?
The Path to Growth: Connection
So how do spiritual children mature? The answer is connection—deep, authentic connection on three levels.
**Connection to God at a Deeper Level**
When Jesus demonstrated servant leadership by washing His disciples' feet, He did so from a position of complete security. He "knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God" (John 13:3). Yet with all that authority, He chose to humble Himself and serve.
This is the model for spiritual growth: moving from self-centeredness to others-centeredness through humble service. It requires mature believers to carve out time in their schedules—not to add another program, but to invite someone into their existing life. Take someone with you when you're running errands. Share your heart during the drive. Listen to their struggles. Model what walking with Christ actually looks like in everyday moments.
**Connection to a Spiritual Family**
Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us: "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another."
We need more than surface-level interactions. We need authentic relationships where we can be honest about our struggles, where someone knows us well enough to speak truth into our lives, where we can say "God is good, but right now I don't feel it" without being judged.
Here's a challenging truth: churches that fill their calendars with endless events may actually be undermining the disciple-making process. Events create activity and motion, but they don't necessarily create spiritual development. People have limited time. If every week is packed with programs and activities that keep relationships at a surface level, when will there be space for the deeper connections that transform lives?
This doesn't mean eliminating all events—it means creating balance and being intentional about facilitating environments where authentic relationship can flourish.
**Connection to Purpose**
Perhaps the most transformative realization is this: you have been saved FOR something, not simply FROM something.
Yes, we're saved from the dominion of sin and the wrath of God. But we're also saved for a purpose. God has placed you exactly where you are. He has gifted you with spiritual abilities. He has shaped you through every experience—the wonderful and the terrible—to share your story with people only you can reach.
As Paul wrote, "I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
Some of us are called to plant. Some to water. All of us are called to participate in the growth process, trusting God for the transformation.
Taking Inventory
Where are you today? Are you still in the spiritual nursery, having recently come to faith but not yet moving forward? Are you in the spiritual playground, growing but still primarily focused on your own needs and preferences? Or have you matured to the point where you're ready to invest in others?
There's no shame in honestly assessing where you are. The only shame is in refusing to grow.
The journey from spiritual childhood to maturity requires humility, authentic relationships, and a willingness to move beyond what's comfortable. It means recognizing that the Christian life isn't about collecting religious experiences or hopping from event to event—it's about transformation that happens in the context of real, messy, authentic relationships.
God's desire is for you to grow up spiritually—to become mature and complete in your relationship with Him. The question is: are you willing to take the next step?
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