Maturity

As I continue to confront an unhealthy dependence on my "agenda," I've tried to distill my major roles. What's absolutely necessary? What responsibilities have I taken on just because I feel them as expectations? So this morning, when I read "... become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ," I read it as a command. It's not--Ephesians 4:13 discusses Christ gifting believers to lead others to that fullness.

But inwardly, part of me groaned. I just turned 33, and while I don't want to ever wax eloquently about my persistent insecurities, I just don't feel very different from Jess at 23 or 13. Or...the close to 3 me in this picture.... Right now? I'm learning how to be a wife and mother. But at 23, I was learning how to navigate life after college. And at 13, I was exploring my growing independence. There are mistakes galore, mis-steps--sometimes predictably so, and when I read about fullness, my first thought is, "Yes! I want that...but I am so immature..." Sometimes I sense I'm learning the same thing over and over again--it just emerges with a different frame.

Psalm 148, 149, 150/114, 115 [morning/evening]
Genesis 7:1-23
Ephesians 4:1-16
Mark 3:7-19