Have you decided to take care of your spiritual well-being?
But perhaps, you don’t know where to start. Perhaps, you don’t have a clue how to differentially cultivate your spiritual growth. Why?
Because you might be spiritually immature.
What does it mean?
Spiritual immaturity means being unable to live a life that is true to your faith. It’s an inability to handle things. of God with ease.
So, if you feel you can’t discern the difference between good and evil or can’t walk in peace and joy, here are 12 big signs of spiritual immaturity.
1) You quickly get angry and easily fall into arguments
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you got angry at someone and couldn’t control your emotions?
We’ve all been there.
Sometimes it might be normal. But let’s be honest.
How often do you find yourself in a situation where you can’t control your emotions or find yourself in an argument?
If this happens more than once, then it’s a big sign of spiritual immaturity. But guess what?
Based on Psalm 103:8, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Still not convinced that you should be less angry?
Let me explain.
The Bible teaches us to be slow to anger. It’s not that we should never get angry. But when we do get angry, it should be because there’s a reason for our anger.
And again, if God can be compassionate even when we humans have so many sins, then what’s your excuse for not being compassionate?
Now you’re probably wondering what you’re going to do about it. Just try to identify the trigger of your anger and find a way to control it. You know yourself better than anybody else!
2) You find it difficult to forgive people
Perhaps unsurprisingly, forgiveness is not an easy task. I’ve learned that over the years.
It takes a lot of strength to forgive, and it’s not something that we should always do.
But the Bible says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). What does it mean?
In simple words, when we forgive, God will forgive us.
So what do you think?
If you find it difficult to forgive people, then you might be spiritually immature. If you can’t control your anger and find it difficult to forgive others, then you might also be spiritually immature.
When you are spiritually immature, you still cling to things that happened in the past.
You still keep your grudges and can’t forgive yourself or others for their wrongdoings. It’s a sign of spiritual immaturity when you haven’t learned that forgiveness is the key to living happily in this world.
3) You find it difficult to accept criticism or even gentle correction
Ever wondered why it’s so hard to accept criticism?
It’s because we don’t want to be told what we’re doing wrong. We’re afraid of being judged or criticized.
But why is this a sign of spiritual immaturity?
You see, your ego is fragile. Your ego will take any criticism or even gentle correction badly.
The Bible says, “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise (Proverbs 15:31).
So, believe it or not, if you find it difficult to accept criticism or even gentle correction, then you might be spiritually immature. Why?
Because you’re too proud to accept criticism. But guess what?
If you want to overcome this issue, you should listen to other people and consider their opinions.
I’m not saying here that you should let other people’s opinions dictate how you should be in life.
4) You don’t care for the poor, marginalized, and outsiders
As a child, you were probably taught to love everyone.
But as we grow up, how often do we stop to think about those who are different from us?
Do we help them out when they’re in need, or do we ignore them?
Admit it. You want society to be healthy, but you haven’t done anything to help the poor.
Not surprisingly, it’s a sign of spiritual immaturity when you don’t care for the marginalized. And instead, you prefer being with “insiders,” the majority, and people who are in the highest social class.
But why don’t you care about outsiders?
Because they’re not like you. They don’t look like you or live the life that you want to live. And I bet, you’re too selfish to help those who are different from you. But guess what?
The Bible tells us that we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). And also, you should “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:9).
So, try to be more empathetic toward other people and take care of the poor because it will help you become more spiritually mature.
5) You don’t speak the truth to people
Let me take a wild guess. You’re probably telling a lot of lies.
You don’t tell others the real reason why you do things. You just tell them whatever you want to say. Sometimes, people think that you’re being honest and open-minded, but in reality, you’re just a liar.
Even when you think that it’s a safe lie, actually, it’s not.
And you know what?
Lying is considered a sin in Christianity. And that’s exactly why you’re spiritually immature if you avoid telling the truth.
So, try to tell people the truth more often and be more honest with them.
6) You’re always thinking about yourself
Have you ever heard anything about self-centeredness?
I bet you have.
And you probably think that it’s a good thing to care about yourself and your problems.
But what if the world was based on selfishness? Would you still consider it a good thing?
The truth is, self-centeredness is a sign of spiritual immaturity. Why?
Because in Christianity, selfishness is not a good thing. Selfish people are too focused on themselves and their needs to be able to see the needs of others. And that’s why they can’t be empathetic toward others.
On the contrary, selflessness is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Selfless people are too focused on the needs of others to be able to see the needs of themselves and their families. And that’s why they can’t be selfish.
Do you see where we’re going with this?
Constantly thinking about yourself might lead to difficulties in your life.
But if you’re focused on others, your life will be very different. And you’ll eventually feel better about yourself.
7) You’re not using your spiritual talents
Do you even know what kind of gifts you have?
It’s the question you secretly dread.
Because there are many different types of spiritual talents, you might think that it’s impossible to know what your spiritual gifts are.
But don’t worry. I have a secret for you.
You don’t need to spend hours reading about your gifts in books and articles to figure them out. All you need is a little bit of perspective on the situation.
And how is not using your talents connected with spiritual immaturity?
Well, that’s because God gave you your special talents and they must be used. Using your gifts will benefit both the giver and receiver.
And if you wonder what kind of gifts I’m talking about, here are seven spiritual gifts you should try to focus on:
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Fortitude
- Knowledge
- Piety
- Fear of the Lord
So, try to use your spiritual gifts as much as you can, and that way, you’ll soon notice that you’re more spiritually mature than you think.
8) You’re constantly seeking pleasure
Yes, it’s true. We all want to feel good.
And it’s normal to want to feel good, especially when you’re going through difficult times.
But if you think that you need pleasure or that pleasure is the only way to feel good, you might be wrong. And I mean really wrong.
In reality, feeling good is a sign of spiritual maturity and it’s a lot more important than people think. In fact, it’s more important than how we look or what we have in life.
Actually, once our spirits are happy with the way that life is going, we’ll be able to make better decisions and improve our lives in every aspect.
Now you may wonder: why is seeking pleasure a sign of spiritual immaturity?
Well, the answer is simple. You need to wait before you meet your basic needs and gratify yourself. Christianity values delayed gratification. Being able to delay your needs means having strong willpower.
Let me explain.
Christianity teaches that you should delay gratification until you have a strong will to do it. This means having the determination and willpower to postpone your needs until after you’ve satisfied them.
By doing this, Christianity believes that we develop our inner resources so we can be facing any situation head-on and achieve our goals.
And the stronger your willpower, the better decisions you’ll make and the more you’ll grow spiritually.
9) You’re not humble enough
Yes, it’s true. Humility is a sign of spiritual maturity.
And even though many people think that humility is a sign of weakness, this is not the case.
Actually, the opposite is true. Humility is a strength that can make you stronger than others in your relationships and give you greater opportunities to grow spiritually.
Being humble makes you more capable of standing up to others, even when they are difficult to work with and oppose. It also enables you to develop a thicker skin so that you can take the tough knocks life throws your way without being affected by them.
So, does it mean I’m spiritually immature if I’m not humble enough?
Well, it might be. Why?
Because “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:12). This means that when you’re not humble enough, you’ll be more likely to be in a position where others can easily criticize and humiliate you.
And since this is a sign of spiritual immaturity, it’s something we should avoid at all costs.
So, what does it mean that I should be humble?
It means that you should be humble enough to admit your mistakes, apologize to those you’ve hurt, and resolve any grievances with them. Humility is a sign of spiritual maturity because it enables us to acknowledge our shortcomings and strive to improve them.
This way, we can grow spiritually.
10) You are not interested in growing spiritually
A sign of spiritual immaturity is when you’re not interested in growing and when you constantly buy into toxic spirituality. Unknowingly, we all pick up bad habits in this regard.
When it comes to your personal spiritual journey, which toxic habits have you unknowingly picked up?
Is it the need to be positive all the time? Is it a sense of superiority over those who lack spiritual awareness?
Even well-meaning gurus and experts can get it wrong.
The result?
You end up achieving the opposite of what you’re searching for. You do more to harm yourself than to heal.
You may even hurt those around you.
In this eye-opening video, the shaman Rudá Iandé explains how so many of us fall into the toxic spirituality trap. He himself went through a similar experience at the start of his journey.
But with over 30 years of experience in the spiritual field, Rudá now confronts and tackles popular toxic traits and habits.
As he mentions in the video, spirituality should be about empowering yourself. Not suppressing emotions, not judging others, but forming a pure connection with who you are at your core.
If this is what you’d like to achieve, click here to watch the free video.
Even if you’re not interested in growing spiritually, it’s never too late to unlearn the myths you’ve bought for truth!
11) You have a hard time asking for help
Are you able to ask for help when you are in trouble? Are you willing to accept and receive help from others when they offer it?
If you say “no” to these questions, then you’re not being spiritually mature.
In fact, being willing to accept help is a sign of humility because it shows that we acknowledge our shortcomings and are willing to improve them.
When we are willing to let someone help us, it indicates that we recognize our own individual capabilities and weaknesses. This is an admission of our humility and willingness to receive help from others in order to improve ourselves.
In other words, it shows that we have taken the time to learn about ourselves and are ready
And when we learn how to ask for help, this enables us to grow spiritually.
By learning how to ask for help from others, we can develop the strength of character that enables us to face life’s challenges and make better decisions than those who aren’t willing or able to ask for it.
12) You can’t discern between good and evil
We all know that there is a difference between good and evil.
But if you’re spiritually immature, you will not be able to discern what is right and what is wrong. In fact, you will not even be able to tell between the two. Why?
Because it’s hard work to discern between them. It takes spiritual maturity to distinguish God’s voice from the voice of evil.
The truth is, spiritual immaturity manifests itself in the inability to discern between good and evil.
Thus, when we say that we can discern between good and evil, it means that we recognize what is right and wrong and are able to act appropriately on both.
It’s easy to see good on the surface; it’s more difficult to recognize evil when it’s hidden beneath a veneer of goodness. And this is why the Bible says that only those who can discern between good and evil are able to keep their minds steadfast.
By saying that you can’t discern between good and evil, you admit that you can’t recognize evil when it’s disguised to appear good.
Becoming spiritually mature
Now I’m going to stop you right there and tell you a little secret about becoming more spiritually mature.
In order to be spiritually mature, you need to first become aware of your own spiritual state. Once you know what it is, you can then start to work on improving it. However, if you don’t first become aware of your spiritual state, you will never be able to improve it.
Remember that it’s not something that happens overnight. It takes spiritual maturity to recognize good when it appears bad and bad when it appears good.
