Effects of Immaturity on the Church and Home

Effects of Immaturity in the Church

The major focus here is to analyse how the immaturity of some brethren has polarized the Church of the living God. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul highlighted the problems of immaturity as shown by the brethren in Corinth. Immaturity is manifested in carnality. A canal person is a spiritually immature Christian, a spiritual infant. He is one who can easily fight in the Church. He/She leaves the church at the slightest provocation without any genuine effort to right the perceived wrongs. Paul did not expect the Corinthians to mature in Christ at the time of their conversion. By placing their faith in Christ, they have been justified (Romans 6:3-5, 2:12 and 8:9). Thus when Paul first established the Corinthian congregation, he taught them as new convert, immature brethren, yet he expected them to grow in faith and become mature.

Paul expressed his frustration here in 1 Corinthians 3:4 that they were still carnal and immature even after years had passed between the establishment of the congregation and the writing of his epistle. Christians of this century should do better, from the time we get converted, it is expected that we begin our journey towards maturity, doing away with envy, strife, division, selflessness etc. which are the hallmarks of immaturity (Ephesians 4:29). Some Christians lack many Christians traits, but no one should expect this condition to last. Paul was surprise that the Corinthians had not yet grown into spiritual maturity nor become able to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrew 5:14).

Arising from the fore going, the effect of immaturity on the church can be summed up as follows:

1. Infighting: This has to do with unnecessary argument and disagreement between people in the same congregation jesting for power, attention, competition and supremacy. This clearly manifest itself during church meetings. Infighting shows the level of immaturity among the brethren, this further breed disunity (1 Corinthians 1:11-12).
   
   
2. Stunted spiritual growth: This is when a Christian has not been able to grow or develop as much as he/she should. It will be as the case of learning continuously but unable to come to the knowledge of truth, in this case, not able to come to maturity despite the enormity or abundance of God's word available (2 Timothy 3:7). Apart from the stunted spiritual growth, one of the effects of immaturity in this regard is stunted numerical and even financial growth (Corinthians 8:12).
   
   
3. Evangelism lukewarmness: It takes the maturity of the Christians spiritually to understand the finished work of Christ on the cross on our behalf, hence we live our lives in line with the precepts of Christianity (Philippians 2:27).
   
   
4. Leadership deficit: An immature Christian cannot lead effectively (1 Timothy 2:5). The Qualification expected of scriptural officers of the church (The Ministers, Elders, Deacons, Teachers, Preachers) are well encapsulated in 1 Timothy 3. Titus 1:1 personally agrees that these qualities (perhaps except the ones that bother on marriage) are what Christians should strain to have in order to qualify for heaven. Two major problems of immaturity in this regard are as follows:
   1. Appointing people who are not able to meet the specifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 will put the church in jeopardy or a very dangerous path. Just like the blind cannot lead the blind, the immature cannot lead the immature.
   2. On the other hand, men who know they are not qualified (mature) for appointment as Elders/Deacons, they will frustrate every move that will usher in qualified men because they know they can never qualify, they will rather prefer the question the leadership structure. This is the spirit of Diotrephes and it should be discouraged (3 John 9:10). Leadership deflect is one of the greatest efforts of immaturity on the church. This will give rise to other dangers like more descendant, tolerance of sin, abuse and ultimately eternal rejection (Ephesians. 5:27, Revelation 21:2).

Effects of Immaturity in the Home

As noted earlier, the home is used to refer to the family living together and the way it behaves. When the primary occupants of the home (father, mother and children) have not grown to maturity to be able to minister what God says as per why they are where they are there in the home, the following effects are inevitable:

1. Poor parenting: As it is popularly said, "you cannot give what you do not have", one who is badly trained cannot raise a Godly child. Parenting is a daunting task and requires maturity to be able to face the task of raising offspring. Most of the misfits, juvenile delinquents and other vice are also traceable to parental failure as a result of immaturity. The case of Eli's relevant here (1 Samuel 3:11-13, 2:12,17,22-25). His negligence of parental duties at home, despite being a just man, led to the capture of the Ark of Covenant by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:1-14). His two sons died at the war and his daughter in-law died after birthing a premature child named Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:19-23). Parents must grow to maturity to understand that parenting is a task that needs tact, wisdom and God's mercy if our homes must not suffer the consequences of immaturity in this regard, both parents and the intending ones should know this:
   1. Parenting is a call to service.
   2. It is also a privilege and a responsibility.
   3. It is never forever.
   4. It is a joint responsibility and cannot be delegated.
   5. It is rewarding.
   6. It requires that we give account at the end.
   7. It needs firmness, fairness, prayer and divine intervention for mature parents to understands the facts and act accordingly.
      
      
2. Negligence of duties: Some home front where the operators are immature, negligence of sacred God-given duties is virtually the order of the day, and this causes collateral damage to the well being of the family. It is important here to remind husbands that they owe love and affection to their wives, while Christian women must submit to their husbands and manage the home irrespective of whether the other perform their own God-given duties or not. On the other hand, parent must understand their duties to their children which among others includes:
   1. Provision (2 Corinthians. 12:14, 1 Timothy 5:8).
   2. Provoking them not to wrath (Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21).
   3. Spiritual training (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 32:46).
   4. Loving discipline (Hebrew 2:6-11, Proverbs 13:24, 23, 13-14, 22:15).
      It is a sign of immaturity for one party to not do these duties because the other refuse to do theirs.
      
      
3. Dysfunctional family system: The result of the fore going is a dysfunctional family system where things are done haphazardly, in a disorganized order. In a dysfunctional family, you will easily see nagging, suspicion, doubt, secrecy, disobedience, indiscipline, alcoholism, etc.
   
   
4. Constant marital conflicts: When the husband or wife is immature, lacking full knowledge of the word of God, there will always quarrel over little things that do not necessary matter. Issues like lack of money or too much of it, children, intimacy, chores, friends, entertainment, relatives, expectations, personalities, etc. This will continue to plague the marriage if they do not allow the word of God to rule their heart and the effects will be catastrophic (Colossians 3:16). Know this at heart that there is no home without its own unique challenges, but maturity will help to always keep the devil at bay (James. 4:7-8).

Final Thoughts

The list of the effects of immaturity on both the home and the Church are endless. Members of the Church are first members of a particular home, if you get it well at home, it becomes easier in the Church. The effect of immaturity in the home will easily manifest in the Church of God. God expects us to grow above the standard of this world by developing Christ-like attitudes (2 Peter 1:5-8). In overcoming immaturity, sound knowledge and practice of the word of God is the key (John 8:32, 1 Peter 2:2).

May God bless us all as we strive toward Christian's maturity.

GOD BLESS YOU!