What does the word “mature” mean to you and what bible verse comes to you when you think of it?
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word is one who has worked through multiple seasons in life and has learned from those seasons. Through this the individual has learned from God directly and is still learning from God and possesses wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Maturity is not about being involved in Christian activities, but about how active God’s word is in a person’s life. The bible verse which comes to mind is I Corinthians 13:11.
Reflect on your walk with God up until now. What factors would you consider most important in your growth process?
Studying God’s word has been an important factor. Studying God’s word is essential and yet some of us struggle to diligently do so. It teaches me the nature of God and helps my prayer life.
What were your initial struggles when you gave your life to Christ?
I had a radical and strong salvation testimony, so initially, I dealt with besetting sins easily. Sin in my life easily dropped off. However, in my second year of being saved, I noticed I became proud and selfish. I easily condemned other Christians who didn’t seem to meet up to my Christian standard.
I also struggled with relating with my parents because I felt they were not saved. I couldn’t honor and obey them as said in the bible. I wasn’t teachable and didn’t receive rebuke the right way because of pride. In addition, I separated God from other aspects of my life. For instance, I didn’t think academics had anything to do with spirituality. I didn’t allow God to saturate every aspect of my life as the word of God says in Colossians 3:23.
And how were you able to overcome it?
As I looked into the word of God more and more, I saw more of how I wasn’t conformed to the word. The word of God became my mirror and it exposed various aspects of my life as stated in James 1:23. The image I saw in the mirror wasn’t like the image of Christ. The word changed me and began to make me conform to the image of Christ.
What’s one fun fact about you?
I am a counselor. Most people don’t know this about me. I have a Masters’s in Counseling Psychology.