Practicing Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG11

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P R A C T I C I N G C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

While it is fully understandable to enjoy the first phases of the life of a person, it would be very sad indeed if a child were stunted in a phase of perpetual childhood. Can you imagine it–staying an infant for 15 years, nursing on your mother’s bosom for 20 years, or being untrained to use the toilet independently at 45 years old? What is understandable and acceptable at 2 months is not acceptable at 2 years and would be considered scandalous at 12 years. Most of us have heard from our parents that proverbial adage “Act your age!” when we were caught acting younger than we truly were. The idea is that growth matters; we shouldn’t act like a baby when we are a child, and shouldn’t act like a teenager when we are an adult. Truly, a healthy person will not remain in the infancy and childhood stages of growth; the developing person will mature, outgrow certain modes and grow into others. Paul in this text challenges the Ephesians to be no longer children, tossed around by every kind of odd idea and notion, being gullible to any puff of exaggerated teaching or outlandish lie. The goal of the Christian life is maturity, after the measure of the stature of our Lord Jesus himself. God’s intent is to fashion us all individually to the maturity of Christ, and this occurs through the proper functioning of the body of Christ. We cannot become mature alone; we grow as every joint and ligament supplies in the body what it must for the upbuilding of the entire body through the love shown, one for the other. God’s call on your life in Christ is always to grow, to mature, to become fully adult, becoming more and more like his Son. Frankly, being a spiritual baby is acceptable and understandable for the first few months, but it is absolutely not appropriate to stay there. God’s will is for you to grow “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4.14-15). “Act your age!” Amen!

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After reciting and/or singing the Nicene Creed (located in the Appendix), pray the following prayer:

Nicene Creed and Prayer

Almighty God, by our baptism into the death and resurrection of your son Jesus Christ, you turn us from the old life of sin. Grant that we, being reborn to new life in him, may live in righteousness and holiness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. ~ Episcopal Church. The Book of Common Prayer and Administrations of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David. New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1979. p. 254.