It is spiritually ironic that a sign of a maturing Christian is acknowledgement of their great need for God! That’s opposite in the eyes of the world, where a sign of growing up is independence and no need for anyone else to help in life.
In the first century (and many times today) society judges Christian humility and dependency upon God as a sign of weakness; however, Jesus teaches that the real sign of Christian maturity is acknowledging our need for God 24/7. In Matthew 18:1-4 Jesus says, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Any spiritual wimp will cry out to God when their world is crumbling beneath them. A mature Christian knows they need God every hour – in troubled waters but also when life is smooth sailing. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
Meditate on Matthew 5:3-12 and listen to I Need Thee Ev’ry Hour by Girl Named Tom.
Matthew 5:3-12
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.