This is an email that I wrote to a guy that I met with last week. God has been doing some pretty incredible things in his life. He was a bit frustrated at all the Christian mediocrity around him. This was the counsel from I John that I gave.....

Have been thinking about our conversation on Thursday. The emotion and content of it seemed very familiar to me as I was meditating on it. I now remember! About 5-6 years ago, a group of 4-5 guys were asking me when we were going to “go deeper and get more meat” in our services. This question always plagued me as I was coming out of the services and the Spirit was speaking to me about something. I wrestled with this question for a few months with these guys.

The Spirit finally led me to I John – where he talks of spiritual children, spiritual young men and spiritual fathers. It seems to me that you have been going through, and are in the last stages of, a transition from a spiritual child to a spiritual young man. Think of a transition from being a baby and boy to being a young man. You didn’t want just cereal anymore, having someone cut your meat for you seemed demeaning, you didn’t want mom and dad to always tell you what you need to think and do, you began to explore the world through your own eyes, emotions and thoughts, etc. It seems like this is the transition that you have made.

A couple of things to think about……

1. Embrace this as a significant transition in your spiritual life (duh).
2. Understand that you will think and act differently from others who are still in the child stage. Don’t knock it, but understand that you are now the one who is called to mentor and help them become spiritual young men.
3. You will never look at things the same again.
4. You will begin the journey of spiritual freedom; not needing to rely on anyone but the Spirit to teach you things.
5. You will become more and more dissatisfied with life as you know it now. You will begin to learn how to control your life and not have your life control you (thoughts, passions, desires, etc. will align with God things).
6. You will be passionate about God and sometimes that passion will squeak out in ways that is offensive to others. Remember the words of Paul to Timothy – gently instruct those around you.
7. Spiritual children will not understand what you are going through; spiritual young men and spiritual fathers will.

Away we go! Continue to explore and allow God to continue to work!!!!! Don’t become frustrated in the journey; especially with those around you.

Your fellow traveler….

S