God is able to make him stand Romans 14:4 NKJV
Have you ever heard a Christian tell another Christian how to live their life? Preachers do it all the time, but hopefully, they do it with scripture. Just in regular conversations, one may tell someone how or what to do, say, or act. Many times, an energized Christian will try to dictate Christian behavior. Let’s look at several areas where this can happen.
One area where this may take place is when a “mature” saint is unchangeable in their ways. They take it upon themselves to make others live to their standards. To fit a specific mold, as if a new Christian can be poured into a ridged shape and come out to be just like the one giving the instructions. Spiritual maturity comes in all shapes and sizes, and it takes years to become that size and shape. It takes a lot of trials and circumstances to develop a mature believer. A new believer doesn’t mature by taking a maturity pill. The pharmacy doesn’t have them. Spiritual maturity requires time to grow, and then there is still room for further development.
Far too many self-appointed believers try to control another’s spiritual development. We all must remember that spiritual growth takes time. God chooses the right time and opportunity to reshape his children when they are ready to handle the reshaping. Being forceful with a young Christian will temporarily make them conform. The conformity is not permanent without spiritual growth. No one can make another love Jesus or His work, that duty belongs to the individual. Forceful behavior only makes spiritual dropouts. They end up resenting Christianity and anything that has to do with the church. We Christians have caused this regrettable retreat. Believers need to think long and hard about being pushy about their spiritual maturity.
A mature saint of God will let people develop spiritual maturity and integrity in God’s timeframe. Let the Holy Spirit do what He does best, show the saint of God areas that need improvement. Let Him do the changing on His schedule. The Spirit knows when a person is ready to take another step of maturity. If God is guiding us and we should let Him, then we will know when to speak. In our zeal, we need to be sure it is God leading us and not our flesh. Prayer reveals the secret of knowing when to speak up and when not to speak. If you are unsure about God’s leading, don’t say anything. If it is of God, He will reassure you. Wait on God, pray, and everything will work out for His glory, not yours.
