It can be challenging to gauge your relationship with God and determine whether you are growing. Churches struggle to know where people are, because is it enough to just read your Bible? To pray and serve? How often do you need to do those things?

Yet, in Scripture, we are given clear stages of our relationship with God. You and I can have confidence in our relationship with God and know where we are, what the next stage is, and the path to those stages. 

According to Jim Putnam, there are different stages to our faith journeys: spiritual infant, child, adolescent, and adult. We can recognize where we are spiritually and emotionally. Because, as Pete Scazzero says, “You cannot be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.“

What is essential to recognize is that, according to John, all of these are followers of Jesus. They are just in different places. As in life, we are to grow and move forward. 

Infant (1 Peter 2:2 – 3)

An infant is a brand-new follower of Jesus. They are helpless in many ways and just beginning their new life.

Someone who is a spiritual infant might say things like: 

• I need to go to church regularly? I’ve never heard that before.
• I need to pray and read my Bible regularly. I don’t know how.
• I didn’t know the Bible said that.
• Tithing? What’s that?
• I don’t need anyone else. It’s just me and Jesus.
• I know Jesus is God, but isn’t karma real too?
• I’ve just been baptized, but I still face challenges in my life. I thought Jesus was supposed to take care of all my problems.

A spiritual infant needs others around to help them grow, just like an infant needs parents. 

According to Pete Scazzero, an emotional infant “looks for other people to take care of me emotionally and spiritually. I often struggle to describe and express my feelings in healthy ways and rarely enter the emotional world of others. A need for instant gratification consistently drives me, often using others as a means to meet my own needs. People sometimes perceive me as inconsiderate and insensitive. I am uncomfortable with silence or being alone. When trials, hardships, or difficulties come, I want to quit God and the Christian life. I sometimes experience God at church and when I am with other Christians, but rarely when I am at work or home.”

Children (1 John 2:12)

A spiritual child is someone who is growing but still requires significant support. They need parents to provide for them. They don’t always know what they need or when they need it. Think of kids who need a nap!

People who are spiritual children say things like: 

• I’m not sure if this church is meeting my needs anymore.
• Don’t multiply my small group into two. We won’t get to be with our friends.
• Who are all the new people coming into our church? The church is getting too big. And someone is sitting in my seat!
• Why do we have to learn new songs?
• I didn’t like the music today.
• No one ever says hi to me at church. No one ever calls me to see how I’m doing. No one spends time with me.
• I wasn’t fed at all by that sermon today.
• I’d serve, but no one has asked me.

An emotional child is someone who, when life is going my way, I am content. However, as soon as disappointment or stress enter the picture, I quickly unravel inside. I often take things personally, interpreting disagreements or criticism as a personal offense. When I don’t get my way, I frequently complain, throw an emotional tantrum, withdraw, manipulate, drag my feet, become sarcastic, or take revenge. I often find myself relying on the spirituality of others because I am so overwhelmed and distracted. My prayer life primarily involves talking to God, telling Him what to do and how to fix my problems. Prayer is a duty, not a delight.

I would say, if you have been in church for a few years, there is no reason for you to be a spiritual infant or child. 

Young Adult (1 John 2:13 – 14)

A spiritual young adult is beginning to lead, taking significant steps in owning their spiritual journey. 

A spiritual young adult says things like: 

• I was reading my Bible today, and I have a question about something. 
• I love serving, and I can see how God has gifted me and how he is using me. 
• Our small group keeps growing, so we need to start another one, and I’m going to apply to lead one. 
• Someone missed the small group this past week. I’m going to check to see if they are okay. 
• Look at how many people were at church today. I love seeing all the new faces!

An emotional young adult says, “I don’t like it when others question me. I often make quick judgments and interpretations of people’s behavior. I withhold forgiveness from those who sin against me, avoiding or cutting them off when they do something to hurt me. I subconsciously keep records of the love I give out. I struggle to truly listen to another person’s pain, disappointments, or needs without becoming preoccupied with my own concerns. I sometimes find myself too busy to spend adequate time nourishing my spiritual life. I attend church and serve others, but enjoy few delights in Christ. My Christian life is still primarily about doing, rather than being with Him. Prayer continues to be mostly me talking with little silence, solitude, or listening to God.”

Parent (2 Timothy 2:1 – 2)

A spiritual father or mother is someone who has taken ownership of their spiritual growth. They are also taking responsibility to help others grow, just like a parent does for a child. They are discipling other disciples, who will in turn disciple other disciples. 

They say things like: 

• Someone at work asked me a question about the Bible, can you pray for me when I talk to him, and that he would be open to the gospel?
• I want to be aware of my behavior as a witness at work and at home. 
• They see the most critical discipleship opportunity as their children. 
• They are always on the lookout for new people to disciple and for new leaders to lead new groups or teams.

An emotional parent says, “I respect and love others without having to change them or becoming judgmental. I value people for who they are, not for what they can give me or how they behave. I take responsibility for my own thoughts, feelings, goals, and actions. I can state my own beliefs and values to those who disagree with me — without becoming adversarial. I am able to accurately self-assess my limits, strengths, and weaknesses. I am deeply convinced that I am absolutely loved by Christ and, as a result, do not look to others to tell me I’m okay. I am able to integrate doing for God and being with him (Mary and Martha). My Christian life has moved beyond simply serving Christ to loving him and enjoying communion with him.”

Where do you find yourself? What is your next step to grow into the next stage of your spiritual or emotional growth?

As I said on Sunday, this isn’t always a linear journey. This is not a salvation issue, but a matter of sanctification. There may be seasons when you are growing and living as a spiritual parent, and then you find yourself moving backward to the stage of a young adult or child. This is why the grace and forgiveness John talks about are so essential in the life of a believer.