Take Courage

The Mark of Maturity

The last couple of weeks I have not blogged regularly. We were doing some travelling and visiting of family and I just wanted a break from blogging. I do want to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog, especially those who read it on a regular basis. I started the blog a year ago and have grown and developed in different ways as a blogger. I think I will try a new pattern starting this week and through next week. There will be some consistency through days, weeks and the coming year.

Tuesday’s will either be an excerpt from a devotional that I am reading through with my wife or an excerpt from a book that I am reading. Most excerpts will come from books I will be posting reviews of. I will keep doing coffee reviews or coffee shop or product reviews on a regular basis. I will also do a weekly study that will take us completely through a book of the Bible. I am hoping to blog on a daily basis, but can’t guarantee that.

Thanks again for helping me and the blog to grow. Give God your whole heart and all of your obedience and you won’t go wrong. Let’s help each other grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To God be the glory! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill (a fellow-laborer)

(Romans 15:13; 2 Peter 3:18)

The Mark of Maturity

Day 3

(6)And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (7)It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (8)For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (9)And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (10)so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (11)filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:6-11 ESV

Paul found joy in his memories of the friends at Philippi and in his growing love for them. He also found joy in remembering them before the throne of grace in prayer.

This is a prayer for maturity, and Paul began it with love. He prayed that they might experience abounding love and discerning love. Christian love in not blind! The heart and mind work together so that we have discerning love and loving discernment.

The ability to distinguish is a mark of maturity. When a baby learns to speak, he or she may call every four-legged animal a “bow-wow.” But then the child discovers that there are cats, mice, cows, and other four-legged creatures.

One of the sure marks of maturity is discerning love and loving discernment.

SOMETHING TO PONDER

With daily decisions, do you tend to seek what is good, or do you try to discern what is truly best? – taken from Pause for Power by Warren W. Wiersbe. Published by David C. Cook, 2010; page 6.