Day 5: Fruitful Growth

A major aspect of adulting that I think we miss is the important role of maturity.

Maturity is a natural process of evolving and growing, yet it's rarely an easy journey. It's about reaching a state of being fully developed, both physically and emotionally. If maturity is truly in motion, then shouldn't adulting feel more like a fruitful experience rather than a burden? Perhaps we are overreacting to the challenges of adulthood and making it more daunting than it actually is.

In Mark 11, Jesus and His disciples were approaching Jerusalem during the Passover—a time of celebration and reflection for the Israelites. As they passed by a fig tree, Jesus looked for fruit, even though it was not the season for figs. The tree had leaves, which typically signal that fruit should be present, but it bore no fruit. This wasn’t just about a tree’s timing but about its authenticity. The tree was pretending to be mature, putting on a show without fulfilling its true purpose.

This situation mirrors our approach to adulthood. We often try to appear grown-up and mature before we’re ready, presenting ourselves with leaves but lacking genuine fruit.

Just like the tree, we may deceive ourselves and others into thinking we are fully mature when we are not yet producing the spiritual fruit that God desires from us. But He knows who we really are.

Though maturity is a natural process, it is also one that you have to intentionally choose. It doesn’t just happen. By virtue of our own negligence and refusal to accept reality, an adult of any age could consciously make the choice to let life stunt their growth in the most critical ways or a specific area in their life. Because the gift of life comes only from God, we must also accept the maturity that He positions us for.

Instead of lamenting over the adulting process, what if we accepted maturity as a chance to grow up in God's ways? If we framed more of the practice in terms of adulting as the process of growing into spiritual maturity, I think we’d understand our faith much better and more humanely. With this idea, you see the range of qualities, characteristics, and behaviors that demonstrate your ability to handle various aspects of life responsibly and effectively, and with the virtues that God wants us all to embody.

To mature is a blessing, an honor, and a privilege. It requires intentional effort and cannot be achieved passively.

Accepting the process of growing into spiritual maturity can transform our view of adulting from a burden into an opportunity for deep, faith-driven growth. It allows us to embody the virtues God wants us to practice, handling life’s responsibilities with grace and wisdom.

Reflections:

1. How have you been viewing the experience of adulting—more as a burden or a necessary process for growth?
2. In what ways can you reframe your understanding of adulting to align more closely with spiritual maturity?
3. What steps can you take to ensure that your life reflects the true fruit of spiritual growth, rather than just outward appearances?

Affirmations:

1. I embrace the process of maturity as an opportunity to grow in God’s ways and reflect His virtues in my life.
2. I trust that God is guiding me through the challenges of adulthood, shaping me into a person who bears genuine fruit.
3. I choose to see my responsibilities as a chance to develop spiritually and handle my life with grace and wisdom.