Have you ever watched a child eat? Not a baby who only eats milk, and not a toddler who eats solid foods like a pro, but a child who's in that in between stage, where they're trying to learn to eat "real" food, but haven't quite gotten it figured out yet. It's at this stage of development that the Apostle Paul is suggesting the Corinthians are stuck in (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Paul points out that they think they've got it all figured out, but in reality they are just babies eating only milk! The same is true for Christians today.
Christianity is not just about believing in Jesus. That is the beginning of a Christian life, but it is definitely not the end of the journey. Maturity in Christ implies a relationship with the Living God that is daily maintained and continually worked on. A good rule of thumb is if you're still alive, then you can still grow in your spiritual maturity. Furthermore, unlike physical maturation which happens without any effort or work on the person's part, Christian maturity is only attained through effort and intentional action.
As a young boy, learning to ride a bicycle was the key to my freedom. Once I learned to ride my bike, I was allowed to leave the confines of our yard! My mother still kept a pretty close eye on me, but I was allowed to go from one corner of my block to the other (a distance of 150 yards). When I first reached this milestone, I thought I was soooo cool, and such a big boy. That is until my friends told me their parents let them go all the way around the block! I quickly realized I wasn't actually all that mature or all that liberated. I brought this to my parent's attention and they said that such a privilege needed to be earned. EARNED!?! What did that even mean? I thought since others were allowed to do it, that I too should be able to take advantage of the limitless opportunities for mischief provided by being out of sight of mom and dad. My parents thought I needed to earn it. Earning it included seemingly completely unrelated things like washing the dishes and keeping my room clean. I eventually was allowed to go all the way around the block, and my parents said it was because I had demonstrated I was mature enough to handle such freedom.
While Christian maturity is not necessarily earned, it does take work and effort on our part. So how are we to embark upon this journey? It would seem that the keys are prayer, study (of The Bible and other Christian literature), and action. A good start to all of this may begin with involvement in Christian community (ie a church, a bible study, etc). Finally, just like I needed to wash dishes and keep my bedroom clean, in order to ride my bike around the block, likewise becoming mature in Christ may also include seemingly unrelated things. For example, while getting up earlier than usual may not seem connected to your faith journey, it may provide you with the time to pray and study. Or as another example, refraining from yelling at your children or spouse may seem like a whole other ball of wax, but such intentional action may teach you the patience and understanding required to better wait for God's Holy Spirit.
The Christian life is a journey. It is a lifelong journey. It should not be a journey that ends with being introduced to Jesus, but rather one that beckons us to follow him.
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