Growing Toward Maturity

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14 

The writer of Hebrews urges believers to grow beyond spiritual infancy—“You still need milk, not solid food”—and to move toward maturity by practicing faith daily. Spiritual infancy is natural at the beginning of our walk with Christ, but it becomes a hindrance if we remain there. William Barclay wrote, “The Christian life is not a static thing; it is a movement, a journey, and the nearer we come to Christ, the more we grow like Him.” Spiritual maturity requires more than knowing the truth; it calls for living it out through obedience, love, and perseverance. Like a child learning to walk, we grow stronger each time we take a step of faith, even if we stumble.

E. Stanley Jones reminds us that faith must be practiced into reality: “Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.” Growth happens in the everyday choices where we learn to depend on God. As we forgive, serve, and endure, our faith muscles are stretched and strengthened. J. B. Phillips paraphrased it beautifully: “The man who has learned to drink deeply of God’s truth has his senses trained by practice to distinguish between good and evil.” Every act of trust—especially in hardship—trains us to see life through God’s eyes, deepening our discernment and maturity.

Maturity is not measured by years in the faith, but by the depth of our Christlike character. It is the fruit of consistent faithfulness, quiet endurance, and growing love. The mature believer no longer lives on borrowed faith but on a firsthand relationship with the living God. Each day, as we practice faith, we move from the milk of beginnings to the solid food of wisdom, learning to reflect the steady grace of Christ in all we do.

🙏 Prayer:

Lord, feed us with the solid food of Your Word and train our hearts through daily obedience. Teach us to trust without reservation and to grow through every season of life. May we mature in faith, discernment, and love, becoming more like Christ each day. Amen.