Gifts are free

Gifts are free but maturity is expensive. - Bill Johnson

     Have truer words been spoken? Maturity is expensive because it costs us something. It costs us our impulses, need to be right, fighting dirty, standing up for ourselves, going first and being the center of attention. Maturity asks us to do what's right when no one is watching. It asks us to take the high road and take a few undeserved hits without throwing a fit. Maturity tells us we may not get credit for everything we put forth, but we are to act mature anyway. Others may get the applause for our work. Someone else may get the position we were up next for. We may feel gypped and overlooked, but we are maturing. It's expensive. 

      The maturity test always seem harder to pass when we are stressed. I know in my personal life I'm going through a lot this season. So many changes! I'm a few weeks away from my 1 year anniversary with my hubs, we were house hunting, now packing, dealing with lenders, trying to line up the end of our lease date and moving date to new house, looking for appliances (since we have none) and more. There is a lot on my mind this month which is making it much easier to fly off the handle bars over little things that never used to trip me up. Have you been there? But through the clutter and blessings of this season I know I'm building character. I'm maturing. I'm pumping iron. I'm growing. 

      Most of us have come across a gifted person without maturity. Their gift is more like a machine gun or axe, instead of an instrument for healing and blessing. They usually inflict pain and more trauma onto people than restoration and direction. Their gift is more of a blessing to themselves than to others. This happens by taking the easy road, the road of least resistance.
        When I'm faced with a situation that stirs me up and I have the opportunity to act out or walk in maturity I sometimes have to remind myself, "Are my gifts baby toys? Or are my gifts powerful tools that have the ability to do great things in and through people because of the Holy Spirit?" Every injustice, every obstacle we face gives us a chance to grow in maturity or to regress. The choice is always ours. Sometimes I must admit, throwing a fit would feel so much better - very self indulgent. But taking the higher road, though self sacrificing, always pays off more in the end. Keeping the end in mind will help keep us from acting hastily with selfish passions.
       I find joy in knowing every time I practice self restraint, bite my tongue and love when I'm being hated on, that I'm growing into the mature person God wants me to be. And just like a seed takes time to grow, eventually I will see the fruit of the good choices I've made, and so will you.