Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Leaders who are appointed by God, are anointed, given the mandate to lead Yahweh’s people to Him by teaching His true spiritual doctrine, in a manner that builds up the Kingdom of God. As the Apostle Paul was disheartened by the church of Corinth, today’s spiritual leaders are often frustrated by their members’ debauchery (indulgence in sensual pleasures), licentiousness (promiscuous and unprincipled sexual matters), arguing over peripheral issues (sweating the small stuff – Richard Carlson), and favoritism – any of which would contribute to members’ lack of spiritual growth. Consequently, the believer is distracted from important spiritual development pertinent to winning souls to Christ such as salvation, purity, worshiping and discipleship; prayer, and fasting.

Still, the greatest proof of the new birth in Jesus Christ is a recognizable changed life. The outward expression of the children of God’s love for Christ is demonstrated by our obedience to Him, our faith in Him, and our thirst for righteousness. We must be intentional in actively acknowledging that we know what the Lord is requiring of us, starting with the 10 commandments. Accordingly, Christians should not glory in leadership to the detriment of the unity of the church. “The ministers of the gospel are for the faithful, not the faithful for them” (Jerome Biblical Commentary).

Thus, understand the Lord God loves you and wants you to grow in Him. Be not deceived, Satan does not want you to grow in Christ. Therefore, my friends, there are no shortcuts on our journey towards spiritual maturity. We must depend on the Holy Spirit to grow us as we surrender 100% to the following:

  • Love Jesus. 1 John 5:1-2
  • Repent from our sins and learn from our mistakes.
  • Read the Bible and Pray every day – build an intimate relationship with Yahweh. The Holy Spirit will teach you God’s word.
  • Worship the Lord in spirit and truth. Ephesians 5:19
  • Love each other. 2 Corinthians 5:14, 1 John 4:7-8
  • Love our enemies. Matthew 5:43-45 (This is not easy but we must try)
  • Love righteousness not sin. 1 John 2:15-17 (If, the Bible says it’s wrong – don’t do it)

We must care about the type of person we are becoming and strive to live a life centered on God. As a result, we will discover that we are becoming more like Him, in the way we think, seeing people from His lens, and responding to the mundane issues of life. Therefore, we are not the same person that we used to be.

Today, take the time to read Psalms 119.