GROWING UP EARLIER (SPIRITUALLY)

Sometimes circumstances demand that a child grow up very quickly and begin to think as an adult. They must think in terms of caring and providing for younger siblings, or having a job instead of going to school. Children need "growing up" time, so having to grow up earlier than is the custom in your part of the world is not ideal. Sometimes the opposite happens and instead of growing up earlier, a person's emotional growth is somewhat stunted, and they grow up later. An overindulgent parent or guardian can cause a child to grow up later than is age appropriate. The same dynamic happens on a spiritual level when someone can either be much more spiritually mature than others of their age and in their calling or profession, while others are significantly less spiritually mature than might be expected.

Spiritually wisdom and maturity does not happen automatically merely because you pray frequently, lead a church or congregation, or attended and graduated from a seminary. It happens as a result of spiritual adversity such as persecution on account of one's faith, coupled with a desperate refusal to let go of your connection to God. It is that desperation that fuels the spiritual growth spurts, and the accompanying increase in wisdom. If, when faced with persecution, you instead surrender to the enemy and do his bidding, spiritual maturity will never happen.