One tends to feel that maturity has something virtuous and special related to it. The child yearns to be grown up which is to be mature in physical body, and a time when big persons make their own decisions about eating spinach or drinking milk. As early as elementary school the student is revealing factors related to gaining (affirming) or evading (denying) maturity. This maturity relates not to physical growth, although some physical growth is necessary to contain it, but to the conduct of the seeking student. That maturity may be stalled by a number of barriers such as: puberty that forces too great emphasis on the physical body; environment that introduces negative values and directions for the social context of which one is a part, perhaps trapped; lack of parental (family) involvement in the informal education of young members; distractions of habits including gadgetry, drugs, even a sport (dumb jock); avoidance of, or denial of responsibility in the care of others in the family and among friends or neighbors; and, disregard for faith values in God (or some idealistic force) and in self and others – a faith that cultivates a positive outlook on life with knowledge, understanding, and problem solving – all cultivating wisdom. This is maturity.
At this writing, I am thinking of several fellows from my experience, persons who never matured. One joined the army, was stationed in the Aleutians for four years, was mustered out at the end of World War II, got driving assignments with bus companies but tended to lose them when his anger arose over small events involving passengers. He married, but did not carry his share of the family unit, and was ultimately divorced. The last time I saw him he was washing dishes for a restaurant along the route of the Big Sur. One night he went to bed, a bit hung over from drink, fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, and died from asphyxiation in the ensuing fire. He never matured. Recently one of my sons offered a fellow a satisfactory payment for mowing a lawn, and the fellow agreed to it. It was partly done to give some income to a man saying he needed it. The man practices the common habits of the immature. The lawn gets mowed, but with casual quality. The world may be out of joint for the fellow. He needs some maturing if for no other reason than to manage schedule. Similar stories might be continued at length.
Maturity is related to learning, formally or informally in context, but requiring both contexts. Maturity includes self-management, among other factors. Self-management includes matters like doing what one promises to do in time; to holding a right attitude toward things and money as they relate to life, and the like, including what we often refer to as self-control in habits and attitudes. Those most mature, for test, can feel anger about some distortion in society so to help solve whatever issues ignited the anger. It includes insight, respect, truth, and the like – culminating in wisdom. Maturity is one of the greatest gifts one can give to self, as well as to family and community that self has a part in sharing – in life’s contexts.
Maturity that is completion was so highly regarded by the translators of the King James Version of the Bible that they chose for the text above perfect for maturity (complete). Some word translations may miss us in our culture when we prefer private meanings. Scripture calls us to grand challenge. That carries a clear objective that Christians follow the models of those who are mature, as the Apostle Paul urged those attentive to his teaching – that as he followed Christ, so his fellow Christians would follow in his habit of following Christ – a major matter. Jesus modeled maturity in thought and action with the disciples, and urged them to follow the pattern. Those who are educated about how life should be practiced, and trained to follow their work with competence and responsibility (perhaps with creativity and ministry) will find life fulfilling. It is a biblical recipe for life. In this completeness there is fulfillment. Maturity is never out of style. It is always current for usefulness, adaptable for problem solving, for finding the better way, for the best uses of time – but not rigid. It includes the skill that brushes off insult (perhaps makes humor of it); that is not fearful; that understands emotions; that has no jealousy in that the person is at home within his or her own skin, and gaining skill in both living with and assisting those who are immature. Maturity is learned and grown into, but must be desired to gain position. Note again, Luke 2:52. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020