Bulletin Article November 2024
Published November 8, 2024
Producing Maturity
by Bruce Billington
Richard Foster, recently said, "The desperate need today in the body of Christ, is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people."
What does it mean to be a “deep”, or mature Christ-follower today when unlimited options, noisy distractions, and a million versions of truth, swamp us from life, school and places of work and of course, the endless realm of social media?
How is it possible to be a deep person while being swept up in a 50-60 hour working week, a demanding community, school events that we or our kids have to participate in, shopping, networking, laundering, family-building and staying on top of things at church too? Is deep even thinkable for anyone living outside of a monastery? I'm just asking.
But according to Foster, deep people are those whose lives are organized around Jesus - His character, His call to a life of service, and His death on the cross for our sins. He says,
The abilities (or giftedness) of deep people may be quite diverse, but each has the power to influence others to follow Jesus, grow in Christlikeness, and live a life of faithful service. They love the world and mix well with people but are wary of spiritual entrapments. They are known for their wisdom, their compassion for others, and their perseverance in hard times.
Wow – what a fantastic description! Surely, we would all desire to have this said about us. And what should this mean to the many of us who have been called to lead others?
One of the problems I see with many leaders and mature Christians today is that they respond to who or what is the most demanding, or with projects that will gain more members or finances and tend to neglect what cultivates deep people – especially mentoring.
As a leader, I have certainly made some of these mistakes in the past. That is the reason why I believe the body of Christ is suffering today with so many people who lack maturity. The Apostle Paul expressed his heart in this calling in Colossians 1:28-29. He said,
Colossians 1:28-29 – “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labour, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
If a key requirement for fully participating in the Kingdom of God is developing maturity, then we may need to rethink how this can be accomplished.
As I look at Jesus’ leadership, I cannot help but notice that most of the hours of Jesus' public ministry were invested in a small number of men and women who, under his mentorship, were put on a pathway to maturity and were able to set in motion a movement that continues to this day. There can be no question about it: mentoring was a major priority for Jesus during His time on earth.
Like most rabbis of his time, Jesus did preach. But it was a very different sort of preaching. Much of it was dialogical: story-telling, questions and answers, argument. It bore little resemblance to a lot of today’s preaching, which is mostly exhortation.
I agree with Foster’s view when he claims that Jesus’ mission was to redeem and reframe the lives of those who would extend this mission after He was gone. He realised that this did not take huge numbers – but it certainly did require people of depth i.e., mature people.
Whatever we do has to be worth it if it results in us being and producing disciples – those who are able to give an account for their faith and produce an expression of the Kingdom of God in whatever spheres of life that are relevant to them.
Surely, it is worth the effort of lining up with the Way of the Lord and knowing that He will be exceedingly faithful in equipping us adequately for this task.
God bless you. Bruce Billington