W
hen George Barna speaks about the state of Christianity, we can be pretty sure that his observations are based on hard facts. Presumably there is no other person who has collected as much empirical data on Christians and churches in North America as he has. Recently I asked him what he would regard as the most alarming result of his research. He didn‘t need much time to think about it. “We are still a church nurtured by milk rather than solid food,” he said, and in the eyes of this thoroughly sober man I could sense deep concern. Should this be the depressing net result of all Christian activity over so many years?
Of course, it is not wrong for some believers to get “milk rather than solid food” (1 Cor. 3:2). That is what Paul gave the Christians in Corinth, whom he regarded as “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1). Infants should be given milk. However, if after 10 or 20 years we still think that the time for “solid food“ has not yet come, and if we still see and treat these people as “infants,” we have a clear indication that something has gone completely wrong. Or is it possible that the obsession with milk products, on the side of those who have been believers for many years, is the intended goal of the Christian “milk industry?”
The Maturity Scale distinguishes five stages that describe your relationship to the opposite pole. The further you progress on this scale, the more balanced you will be spiritually. By means of this scale, you can monitor how far your spiritual maturity has advanced over the course of your learning process. In order to get started with a Mutual Mentoring process, you should at least be at stage 0 (impartial attitude).
If you are honest, which level of the maturity scale represents your attitude towards your opposite style? For the sake of increased maturity, are you prepared to stretch yourself to the next level (e.g. through 28 days of discipline, Mutual Mentoring, etc.)?
Further topics in the above chapter of the full version of the book
The goal of spiritual maturity - Maturity and Level B learning - The Christian life as constant movement