Moderation.


I think that a sign of maturity is an increased tendency to show moderation. I think of college kids who consistently drink their hearts out, run up their credit card bills with incessant expenditures, and drown out homework with their insatiable thirst for video games. Not to mention social interaction (which varies in degrees of morality). Why is this problem with moderation such a popular problem in college? Because college, for many, is a place where immaturity goes mostly unchecked and their lifestyles are moderated by nothing better than the wind.

But college students are not my primary focus. I use them as an example of moderation being a soul mate of maturity. Moderation is an issue from birth until death. My one-and-a-half year old daughter does not know when to stop eating snacks, and neither do many adults. They simply will not moderate themselves. The ability to say “no” to one’s self is a sure sign of some sort of maturity. On the flip side, the inability to say “no” is a sure sign of some sort of immaturity. And this moderation is not just something that deals with food and drink, but a plethora of life issues. Take anger for example. Some people cannot moderate their anger. Is this related to a chemical imbalance? Maybe it is sometimes, but probably not in your case. I believe it is mostly a sign of immaturity. You may be good at business, a great pastor, extremely intelligent, or awesome working with people. But if you cannot moderate your emotions, you yet have immaturity to deal with. If you always take things personally, you struggle moderating your emotions. You allow your emotions to convince you of whatever they say.

I would here define immaturity as it pertains to this lack of moderation as the inability to react to your surroundings in any way other than what comes naturally according to the flesh. 1 Corinthians 2:6-7 shows that maturity is something that surpasses the natural man: “Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” Paul paints a beautiful picture of maturity in Philippians 3:12-21. He speaks of “pressing on” and an “upward call.” He calls the “mature” to do the same, rather than minding earthly things like those who make their belly to be their god. Who is this person? The person who follows natural passions. This same person is the person whose end is destruction. But we have a higher calling. Maturity is not just a social attainment. It is not graduating to the adult table at thanksgiving gatherings. It is not earning a master’s degree in something awesome, getting married and having kids, or being voted in as an elder by the laying on of hands. Maturity, as defined by Hebrews 5:14, is trained discernment which distinguishes between good and evil, aka being “skilled in the word of righteousness.” It separates between the natural and the spiritual and chooses what is spiritual. Now this “skillfulness” is not a skillfulness that is attained through college Bible degrees or becoming efficient in the arena of blogs, commentaries, Bible versions, Greek, Hebrew, public speaking, management, or any other element attainable by any human whether lead by the Spirit or not. This skillfulness is not known by the things of the flesh. It is only known by those in a thriving walk in the Spirit.

Paul uses his own personal example as an illustration of moderation in 1 Corinthians 9. In Verses 25-27 he tells us that he practices self-control in all things. He does everything he does deliberately. He does not just let himself “be Paul” and follow every feeling and desire. He says this would disqualify him. And perhaps this disqualification would not necessarily be because of one thing in particular that he did that got him “kicked out of the race.” But just like any athlete, if your lifestyle is not conducive to a victorious run, you will never be the type of person who is going to do well. You will never accomplish anything worthwhile, at least not to the extent that you are intended to had you lived in the Spirit and mastered your flesh. While accomplishment does not bring a Spirit filled life, a Spirit filled life will undoubtedly bring accomplishment of some sort. And I believe a lot of Christians are living mediocre lives because they simply are not mature due to following what is natural for them to feel and do.

“Be yourself” is certainly a trendy saying these days. The saying has even made it into a 7up slogan: “Be refreshing. Be yourself. Be 7up.” While there is truth that can be applied to “be yourself,” ironically enough, I’m sure the saying, inhibited by the flesh, has also kept many from coming to know Jesus. I’m not talking about people are not accepting Christ because of the philosophy. I’m talking about Christians not winning other people to Christ because they are more into “being themselves” (natural) than being the redeemed (spiritual). Don’t get me wrong…I believe you should express yourself in the way God made you. You should let your personality shine. But I believe that the only goodness found in this is if you are walking in the Spirit Who makes all things new, Who redeems the fallen and sanctifies the chosen. There is nothing good about your personality if its fruits are bitter, rotten, and useless. But this is what our expressionistic culture is emphasizing. Even if you are immoral and evil or even just an average floater who just wants to get by, as long as you stay true to who you are and accept yourself, you’re good to go. And Christians are adopting this philosophy.

The truth is this: Christ takes you in. Christ loves you. If you are born again, then Christ has redeemed you and set you free to be you without reproach. You once were lost and condemned buy now you are found and received. Nothing will separate you from the great love of God. But Christ’s intent is to renew you day in and day out! You cannot glory in your immaturity (fleshliness) and say you are an active disciple of Christ at the same time. But yet we justify our emotional instability or our gluttony (of food and of all other immoderate indulgences). These are the very things that are keeping us from maturing in Christ. These are the very things that are keeping us from knowing fullness in Christ.

So examine your steps – do you find yourself lacking moderation in various areas of your life? TV? Internet (not just the cites, but the frequency)? Food? Cell phone? Other types of addictions? Well, there really is one answer. Follow Paul as he follows Christ. Say no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit. Practice this day in and day out. Simply put, but seemingly impossible to do! But that’s where consistency joins the battle. No athlete ever won because he woke up early one day, did his 50 push-ups and sit-ups, jogged around the block, and then went out and took a Marathon by storm. Spiritual maturity is found in being unnatural. In other words, being who you are in Christ. Claiming your new identity and forgetting those things which are behind you. That is, the things of the flesh.

I’ve gotten a little off-topic. But I had to talk about the flesh. You can’t discuss moderation properly without talking about the flesh.

We could go on and on about how moderation affects the very details of our lives. Spiritual growth includes moderation. Moderation affects our money and time management, shopping experiences, parenting, marriage, emotional stability, daily activities, diet, and an abundance of other facets of our lives. So many of our problems could be bypassed if we’d only walk in the Spirit! We do not need therapy for these areas of our lives. We need the Gospel that gives us a new life in Christ and consistently reminds us of this life and enables us to live this life day by day – the Spiritual life!

But one must still ask the question: “What’s the difference between spiritual moderation and fleshly moderation?” Doubtless there are many people outside-the-camp that live moderate lives, right? Sure there are. Just like how there are unsaved individuals who love their families and neighbors. There is a part of us that can still reflect God’s nature in which we were created. But I would say the difference is this: while you can be planted and watered in the flesh, you remain fleshly until God gives the increase. If you are the redeemed, God will give a flesh-mystifying increase to your life. There will be an effectual swell in both the inner man and the outer affects of your work because God is working for you. Isn’t that amazing? God works for you, in you, and through you unto His glory. God doesn’t do this for anybody else. He gives you His increase. Justifying our immaturity is like turning down a stock that has a consistent past of high return on your investment. Of course in this case it is God which works in us both to will and to do His pleasure. Even better. He gives us the money and then gives us the world’s greatest stocks. So tell me again, why do we wallow in the defeated shame of our immature flesh?