Resetting to Maturity

Estimated Reading time: 5 minutes · Written by Tim chilvers

How do you know when you've really grown up?

Is it when you first get a job? Pay your own bills? Realise you actually enjoy a quiet evening in?

Growing up is a journey—not just physically or emotionally, but spiritually too. As part of a church-wide series on spiritual “resetting,” we’ve been exploring what it looks like to reorient our lives around the things that truly matter. In this final part of the series, we’re looking at the message in Philippians 3:10–16.

The apostle Paul offers a radical vision of what it means to grow up in our faith. And it’s not about age, knowledge, or how spiritual you look on the outside. It’s something far more beautiful, far more honest, and far more life-changing.

Maturity Isn’t About Having It All Together

Let’s start with a common misconception: that mature Christians are those who appear sorted—calm, deeply spiritual, prayerful, always confident in their faith.

In fact, Paul paints the opposite picture. In his letter to the Philippians, he writes:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12)

Paul—the church-planting, Scripture-writing, persecution-enduring apostle—says he hasn’t arrived. His view of maturity is rooted in humility, not superiority. A mature Christian is someone who knows they’ve still got a long way to go, and who keeps pressing forward because of the grace they’ve received.

True growth starts with honesty. And that’s really good news.

True Maturity Is Knowing You’re Still on the Journey

It’s tempting to think of maturity as a finish line. But Paul suggests it’s more like a marathon. He uses language like “straining toward what is ahead” and “pressing on toward the goal.”

In other words: keep moving.

Whether you’re new to faith or you’ve been a Christian for decades, spiritual maturity isn’t about arriving—it’s about continuing. The pacesetters in a race may start fast, but if they don’t finish, their speed means little. Likewise, faith isn’t measured by how intensely we begin but by our perseverance over time.

And, some of the most spiritually mature people are those who, even in their later years, still weep with longing to know Jesus more deeply. That’s what maturity looks like: hunger, not pride.

Maturity Is Not the Same as Intensity

Let’s be honest—we often confuse emotional intensity with spiritual maturity. The louder the worship, the more passionate the prayer, the more dramatic the testimony… the more mature someone must be, right?

Not necessarily.

Intensity can be inspiring—but it isn’t always aligned with truth. It’s like a child cheering enthusiastically for the wrong football team. Passion is great, but it needs to be directed by understanding and humility.

Even Paul acknowledged that he was once full of “zeal” and intensity—yet it led him to persecute the church. Before he encountered Jesus, he had a glowing religious CV. He was, in his words, “faultless” according to the law. But he later calls all that “rubbish” compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.

Intensity can’t save us. Only Jesus can. Maturity is measured not by how loud our faith is, but by how deeply it is rooted in Christ.

The Pharisees, religious leaders of Jesus’ day, looked extremely devout. They prayed, fasted, gave to the poor, and studied Scripture religiously. If anyone looked mature, it was them.

Yet Jesus reserved his harshest words for them.

Why? Because their spirituality was a loud performance, not internal transformation. Their piety pointed to themselves, not to God. They confused external behaviour with internal renewal. And their pride blinded them to their need for grace.

Maturity is not about appearances. It’s about transformation from the inside out. If you think you’ve “made it” as a Christian, that might be a sign you haven’t. Maturity begins when we recognise our need for Jesus every single day.

Jesus is the Centre of Maturity

Paul’s entire argument leads to one simple, powerful truth: maturity starts and ends with Jesus.

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

That’s it. Not knowing about Jesus. Not doing great things for Jesus. Simply knowing him—intimately, humbly, consistently.

At the heart of Christian maturity is relationship. And like all relationships, it takes time, intentionality, vulnerability, and trust.

Has Jesus become a subset of your life? Something you fit in when you can? Or is he the centre? Because a mature faith doesn’t revolve around achievements or church attendance—it revolves around Christ.

An Invitation to Reset

Reset your life by returning to Jesus.

Maybe life has swept you up. Maybe your faith has felt flat, or God feels distant. Maybe you’ve been looking at other Christians and feeling “less than.” Or maybe you’ve been walking with Jesus for years but realise there’s more of him to discover.

Wherever you’re at, the invitation is the same: press on. Keep going. Keep knowing him.

Because maturity isn’t about being finished. It’s about being formed—over time, through grace, in Christ.

The original teaching has been edited for clarity and brevity; This is not a transcript.