Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” with the point being that we should live with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
This is the main scripture we will be looking at this year:
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
We are also looking at these scriptures as we consider the life of Joseph.
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Gen 39:21-23 ERV)
21 The Lord was with Joseph and continued to show his kindness to him, so the commander of the prison guards began to like Joseph.
22 The commander of the guards put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. Joseph was their leader, but he still did the same work they did.
23 The commander of the guards trusted Joseph with everything that was in the prison. This happened because the Lord was with Joseph. The Lord helped Joseph be successful in everything he did.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. It’s Time To Grow Up!
It takes maturity to walk with God through challenges and make it out on the other side with your faith intact. This is what this series is about. This is why we have been learning about patient endurance. Life will not always go how you want it, but if you can maintain your faith throughout any storm, you will be considered “mature” in God’s eyes.
One of the issues I see with believers opening their hearts to Godly maturity is a need for more understanding concerning what maturity in Christ is or what it looks like. Being mature in Christ does not mean you have memorized a bunch of scripture. Being a mature believer does not mean you have been a “churchgoer” for a long time. In this series, I am painting a picture of what it looks like to be mature in Christ.
— Godly Maturity: Maturity in God’s Kingdom isn’t about how long you’ve been a Christian or how many teams you are on at church; it’s about how you apply your faith during life’s trials and your ability to endure with a spirit aligned with God’s purposes.
— Faith Through the Storms: A mature Christian maintains their faith even when circumstances seem impossible. They see challenges as opportunities for God to manifest His power and for them to activate their faith in God’s promises.
— Patient Endurance: True maturity is shown by patient endurance, staying committed to God’s timeline, and trusting in His plan, regardless of how long the fulfillment of His promises might take.
— God Is Looking For Consistent Growth: Embrace every opportunity for growth, understanding that maturity involves an ongoing, evolving relationship with God that deepens through every life experience. When things get tough, mature believers don’t run away. As James teaches, they see the difficulties as “an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy they you can!“
— Mature Believers Are Steadfast in Trials: Demonstrating maturity means being unshaken during trials, holding onto God’s Word, and being an example to others in faith and patience.
— Mature Believers Embrace God’s Process: Acknowledge that spiritual growth is a process orchestrated by God, and every step, even setbacks, is designed to fortify your faith and develop your character.
2. What it looks like to be a MATURE believer!
I will provide a two-part answer.
Part 1) A mature believer has faith, and they live by it.
— This person has the audacity to believe God on His level.
— This person dreams God-sized dreams. So when God speaks (in a dream while they are sleeping, an open vision while they are awake, through the Holy Spirit, or through someone else), no matter how big, outlandish, or outrageous the promise is, this person believes that God can and that He will DO perform it in his/her life.
— Not only does this person believe God, but this person then dares to launch OUT into what God said, even when there is no sense-realm evidence to support it and even if there is a plethora of sense-realm evidence against it.
— This person lives by what God reveals and is not moved by what they see in the natural.
— If this person receives a negative report from his world, a report that ‘flies in the face’ to what God said, they choose to believe the report of the Lord even if it causes them to look foolish. They know that living in sync with heaven often requires you to live out of sync with the people in this world.
— A mature believer lives by faith because they know it is impossible to please God without it! (Heb 11:6).
Part 2) A mature believer has patience, and they are continually developing in it.
— Not only does this person believe God, but they also understand that God’s promises will not manifest overnight. So he/she is not moved by time or circumstances.
— Not being moved by time takes maturity. This person is so convinced that God will do what He said He would do that they are willing to hold on to God’s promises for days, weeks, months, years, and even decades if that is what it takes.
— Not being moved by circumstances takes maturity as well. This person knows that situations change all the time and that things may get worse before they get better, but through it all, God is still God, His promise is still true, and He will never turn His back on His Word. So, while situations change, God does not, and this person maintains their faith in an immutable God.
— This person has added patience to their faith. This patient endurance is helping them develop into the mature believer God requires us to be. They believe God, and they are committed to continuing to believe God, no matter how long it takes. The patient endurance that is in operation in their life is the greater indicator of Christian maturity.
* Since this person is unmoved, unchanged, and unfazed by the changes of this world, and they keep their faith intact throughout any and all opposition, they are mature. The text says there is “nothing missing and nothing lacking” in their life.
So, how do I spell MATURITY? I spell it E.N.D.U.R.A.N.C.E.
3. Characteristics of a Mature Believer and How It Applies to Joseph (and you).
— A Mature Believer Has The Audacity to Believe: A mature believer is crazy enough (meaning their faith overrides reason and common sense) to believe what God said, even when it is humanly impossible and improbable. When God gave Joseph a dream that he, the 11th of 12 boys, would become the leader of all his brothers and that even his father would someday bow down to his authority, the dream made no sense at all, but Joseph believed it! This is how we have to be!
— A Mature Believer Chooses Faith Over Sight: They live by faith, not by sight, trusting in God’s Word over the visible, often misleading circumstances around them. When Joseph was in the pit, and his brothers were debating killing him, Joseph had to believe in God. When Joseph was in Potiphar’s house, and he was a slave, Joseph had to believe in God and believe the dream was still good. When Joseph was in prison, and his life was seemingly going haywire, even though he had not done anything wrong, he still had to believe in God and believe the dream would still come to pass. Can you believe God this way? Will you choose faith over sight?
— A Mature Believer Is Unwavering in Adversity: Mature believers hold fast to God’s promises even when external conditions challenge their faith, even when facing things that would crush the average person. The betrayal of their family members would have crushed most people, and for sure, most people would have been battling thoughts of depression if they had wound up in prison the way Joseph did. But through it all, Joseph maintained his faith in God. This is the type of maturity God is looking for. He wants to know that your faith is not contingent upon your conditions.
— Mature Believers Are Resilient in Faith: They are resilient, using every trial as a strengthening tool rather than a setback, knowing that these experiences refine their spirit and align them closer to God’s will. While Joseph did want to be a slave, he made the most of his time in Potiphar’s house. While he certainly did not desire to be a prisoner, he made the most of his time in prison. As a result, he was ready to lead Egypt when the time came for him to get promoted. Mature believers know that making the most of your today, no matter how painful your today is, is necessary because your today is preparing you for your tomorrow.
— Mature Believers Incorporate Endurance Into Their Lifestyle: Maturity involves enduring faithfulness—keeping their commitment to God’s Word through all seasons and demonstrating that maturity through how they live daily. In other words, mature believers don’t quit. Joseph had several opportunities to quit. He could have given up on God’s dream. He could have allowed the dream to die in his heart. But he did not. Learn from Joseph. If you want God’s dream for your life to come to pass, you must develop into a mature believer who is not moved by what happens TO you. As a matter of fact, you can become so mature that you know that what happens TO you is actually happening FOR you! This is the type of mindset mature believers have.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I declare my commitment to spiritual maturity as defined by Your standards, not the world’s.
I embrace Your grace to become the man/woman I am called to be, and that includes facing and overcoming whatever I must endure on the path to my purpose.
I affirm that my faith will stand firm through every trial, and my endurance will grow with each challenge.
I commit to living by faith over sight, trusting in Your Word above all else.
I am steadfast in adversity, knowing Your presence is constant, and Your purposes for me are unchanging.
I accept the necessary sacrifices to fulfill Your calling and am ready to bear my cross daily.
Father, I trust in Your timing, knowing that You are with me, refining my character and preparing me for the destiny You have ordained.
I am determined to embrace the process of my development, believing that every season under Your sovereignty is designed for my growth.
I prepare for divine shifts in my life, knowing that ONE WORD from You can change any situation in a moment.
I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME, so I am willing to pay the cost today for the future You planned!
I declare that I am strong, steadfast, unmovable, unshakable, and unstoppable because I am mature in You, and You are free to live through me!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
