Maturity In Christ

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God."
Romans 7:4

Is your life bearing fruit for God? There are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for us to grow to adulthood, and it takes a full season for fruit to mature and ripen. The same is true for the Fruit of the Spirit. The development of Christ, like character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. When you try to ripen fruit quickly, it loses its flavor. Let me give you an example. In America, tomatoes are usually picked unripened so they won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Then, before they are sold, these green tomatoes are sprayed with CO2 gas to turn them red instantly. Gassed tomatoes are edible, but their taste cannot be compared to the flavor of a vine-ripened tomato, that is allowed to mature slowly. All too often, I find Christians who are looking for a quick work of God in their life that will radically change them and their situation. Make no mistake about it, God loves to do quick and sudden things for us, but he uses a different timetable when it comes to what He's doing in us. If maturity is the goal when it comes to natural fruit, it certainly must be when it comes to developing the Fruit of the Spirit. Spiritual maturity takes time. There are no short cuts. The question then must be..."Are we willing for God to do His work "in us" and not just "for us"? We must prepare our heart for an encounter with Heaven. Let's begin to cry out to Him in prayer. "Do your work in me, Oh Lord, not just for me!" This is the fertile heart-soil that will produce Christ like Fruit.