Attaining Maturity

My wife and I just returned from spending a week with our daughter and grandchildren. Needless to say we were very busy. A part of my responsibilities for the week among many was escorting the kids to school. It had been a long time since I had run the family taxi. Immediately the realization came to me that I had become far removed from the everyday skirmishes that transpire among siblings. All the memories returned as I heard statements like, "I called the front seat first, move over" and "That's my shirt you're wearing." It all came back to me. These are the kind of things that cross the boundary lines of every generation. The reason being is immaturity. While we expect this out of children, we don't expect to hear it resonant from adults. But yet such things remain a part of our vocabulary. This is especially true in the church world. Is that not a major reason for much of the disunity in the body? We want to be first. We want position and we don't want anyone wearing our gift. Was this not the issue Paul was addressing in Ephesians 4 when he emphasized flexibility and versatility in the body? Through forbearance, meekness, and long suffering we are to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" and strive to become the "perfect man." This means that at some point maturity is to be attained. When this happens we find ourselves acquiescing to the point of yielding to others in prayer and preference that the body can be a proper display of Christ. While achievable, it may be easier said than done. May God help us all as we engage in the process!