At the NBA trade deadline a few weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks traded for star guard, Kyrie Irving, to pair with their young superstar, Luka Doncic. Although this newly formed backcourt was met with high expectations and excitement, they are only 1-4 in games they’ve played together, which includes a tough loss last night to the Pacers 124-122. This follows a brutal loss on Sunday when the Mavs blew a 27-point lead at home to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was an embarrassing loss on national TV and after the game, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said this: “Us as a team, we have to mature... We have to grow up if we want to win a championship.” He also said, "I think it's just our maturity just understanding what we have to do at that time, just focus on that play, can't get distracted with the whistle.” Giving up a 27-point lead means the Lakers played much better, but it also means the Mavs made too many mistakes and didn’t keep their composure. Part of the concern was with Luka being distracted by the refs and spending so much time arguing calls. When Luka was asked about Kidd’s comments regarding the team needing to mature and grow up and not be distracted by officiating, he responded by saying, "It's probably true. That's it." The Mavs are a young team overall and Luka is only 24, but he’s playing in his fifth season. The team made it to the Western Conference Finals last year, so it’s understandable that Kidd expects his team to play with more maturity, continue to grow up, and wants his team to be further along at this point. They can’t be caught up in distractions and give up 27-point leads, but need to be taking steps in the right direction. I believe there's a strong parallel here to our faith journeys and the concept of becoming spiritually mature, growing in our faith, and taking steps in the right direction. Yes, spiritual maturity can come from experience and time, but sometimes even people who have been around church for a while aren’t very mature in their faith. Maybe we should be further along than we actually are, but we haven’t learned God’s Word. Hebrews 5:12-14 (AMP) explains, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers , you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s Word , and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food. "For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness since he is a spiritual infant. But solid food is for the mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.” If we want to “grow up,” we have to be willing to leave behind distractions and our immature ways of thinking and acting while we seek to understand God more and more. 1 Corinthians 14:20 (AMP) gives us this challenge: “Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; be infants in evil , but in your minds be mature .” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11 (AMP), “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” God transforms us and helps us grow up as we know Him deeper and desire to understand His character and His ways. It’s not a matter of how long we’ve been a Christian or even how young or old we are, but rather spiritual maturity comes from our hunger for Him and our committed pursuit of Him and His Word. Today let’s not remain stuck in our old ways and habits and lack of spiritual knowledge, but let’s grow up and mature in the Lord. As 2 Peter 3:18 (AMP) says, “...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to become more spiritually mature and have a deeper faith. Please help me leave behind my childish and immature ways of acting and thinking. I pray I wouldn’t get caught up in distractions, but rather keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. I desire to grow in understanding of Your Word and to know You more deeply. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What areas of your life should you grow up in and move on from immature ways of thinking and acting? 2. In what ways have you specifically grown spiritually in recent months or years?
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