"It is often ignorantly and frivolously charged against Christian men that it is selfish in them to seek heaven and glory for their own souls; but no man who is truly seeking salvation will be moved by that accusation. When men really begin to seek their salvation, and to turn their faces to the glory of heaven, then it is that all selfish and ignoble desires receive their death-blow. It is not selfish, surely, for the diseased to seek healing, or the hungry food, or the prodigal his father’s house. So far from this being a sign that the heart is selfish, there is no surer sign that it is being sanctified."

Alexander Whyte, An Exposition on the Shorter Catechism, page 138.

HT: Ray Ortlund

Sonya and Hannah were helping me work around the church yesterday, or should I say, Sonya was helping me and Hannah was doing her own thing.  We went to check on Hannah, who had escaped to the nursery, only to notice that she had climbed into a baby toy.  Now understand that Hannah would never play in one of these when she was smaller.  When she is too big for it, however, she thinks it is a cool toy.  She was reverting back to her early childhood.

How often are we the same way in our lives?  We seem to grow until we decide that we would like to revert back to spiritual childhood.  We should be more mature but we react or act in ways that are from our early days.  Most all of us have had times when we have found it easier to be spiritually immature than to take the road of maturity.  We see this in our relationship with God, with others and with this world.

There are spiritual maturity tests that we can use to evaluate our lives.  Am I growing in the Word and Prayer?  Am I faithful to the church and ministry?  Do I respond to others with love and compassion rather than anger and frustration?  Are the fruit of the Spirit evident in my life?  Is my speech worthy of being used in a conversation with Christ?  Are the things I am involved in the result of small compromises or would they glorify God?,

So many times, the longer we are saved the more revert back to the old days.  The newness of our salvation wears off.  We begin slipping in our Bible reading and prayer, then soon our path leads us away from Him instead of to Him.  Are you maturing or have you been taking one step forward and two steps back?