By Staff Writer, Matt Osborne Free agent offensive tackle, Kelvin Beachum, unexpectedly found himself in the headlines on Thursday afternoon. Appearing on the Burns and Gambo Show, Beachum, who played for the Cardinals in 2022, was asked about what Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray has to do to be great. His response to that question is what put him squarely in the headlines: “Grow up.” When pressed by the hosts to give an example, Beachum responded, “Be a man and grow up. It’s not complicated. You’ve got to be a leader of men, period.” He added, "He's maturing...It's not a completed process...I didn't say he lacks leadership, I just think he needs to grow up a little bit. I think if he has the ability and willingness to grow up, he's going to be just fine." Beachum did go on to say some positive things about Murray later in the interview segment, but his comment about Arizona’s franchise quarterback needing to “grow up” is what stood out to media members and fans alike. Many are discussing the veracity of Beachum’s assessment and although it may have been harsh, hopefully, Murray hears the comments and is encouraged to grow. Murray is still in the process of becoming the leader and NFL QB he needs to be, but it would serve himself and his teammates well if he shows a willingness to grow up. Similarly, as followers of Jesus, God has called each of us to “grow up” and mature as we walk with Him. Though none of us will ever reach perfection on this side of eternity, the Bible makes it clear that we should expect to see progress taking place in our lives as we are being led by the Holy Spirit. The author of Hebrews had a sharp rebuke for his audience in Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV) because they weren't maturing in their faith: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Notice that this maturity doesn’t take place by accident. Rather, it's obtained by those who have been trained by “constant practice.” For us, that means maturity won’t come overnight. It will take disciplined self-control, as we consistently devote ourselves to prayer, reading the Bible, actively participating in a local church, and obeying God’s commandments. Like Murray as a QB, we need to have the willingness to grow up in our faith. In a society like ours, we tend to look for shortcuts to help us get to our end goal. But when it comes to our walk with the Lord, there's no “secret shortcut.” Instead, we have “ordinary” spiritual disciplines that help to keep us grounded and walking in a manner pleasing to God. In particular, the Apostle Paul highlights how consistently gathering together for fellowship with other believers plays a vital role in our “growing up” as followers of Christ. In a passage in Ephesians 4 where he has just addressed how God has given different spiritual gifts to believers, Paul writes, “So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13; NIV). Since we all have “blindspots” in our lives, we need brothers and sisters in Christ around us who can encourage us, teach us, and hold us accountable. Together, we all play a vital part not only in our maturation process but also in the maturing of those around us. So today, let’s make sure we aren't acting immaturely when it comes to following Jesus. Instead of looking for shortcuts, let’s ask God for grace and strength to help us be disciplined in using the means He provides for us to “grow up” in Him. I’m Matt Osborne and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me spiritual disciplines that help me grow and mature in my faith. Please give me the strength to remain consistent in praying, reading my Bible, and gathering together with other believers so that I might become more like You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. In which area of your spiritual life have you seen the most growth recently?
2. In which area would you like to see more growth, and what are some steps you can take to help get you there?
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