READ: ROMANS 14:10-13; GALATIANS 6:1-2

What’s your favorite “instant” food? Ramen noodles? Mac ‘n’ cheese? Taquitos? These precooked foods are tasty and convenient. Especially when we’re hungry and in a hurry, having something on hand that will only take a minute or two to prepare can be really nice.

It’s easy to get the idea that everything should be instant though. Sometimes we expect spiritual maturity to be like that, but it isn’t. Spiritual maturity—or growing to be more like Jesus—takes time. It’s more like making a fancy gourmet meal than warming up some taquitos. The process can’t be rushed. But it’s worth the time and effort.

That means we have to be patient—both with ourselves and with each other. As we seek to follow Jesus in every area of our lives, we’re going to struggle with sin, and we’re going to see our friends struggle with sin. It’s our job to patiently encourage each other toward spiritual maturity, not expect each other to be instantly perfect. When we notice a sin in a Christian friend’s life, we can lovingly remind them of how God calls us to live, but it’s important to remember that we all have sins we struggle with. Thankfully, as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, He teaches us to turn away from sin and obey Him.

Now, let’s be clear. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we are immediately saved— but we aren’t instantly mature. And we can’t expect instant maturity from our friends either. Instead, we can pray for each other and learn to be patient as we grow together and learn more about Jesus and how He calls us to live. •A. W. Smith

• Consider takinga moment to reflect on your own walk with Jesus. What are some areas where you’ve seen Him bring about spiritual maturity in your life? Praise God for that! What are some areas where more growth is needed? You can ask Jesus to lovingly guide you forward in these areas. In addition to talking to Jesus, who are trusted Christians in your life who can walk with you as you pursue growth, such as friends, pastors, parents, and youth leaders?

• The Holy Spirit is the one who works inside Christians, transforming us to become more and more like Jesus in our thoughts, words,and actions. For example, one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience. What’s the difference between trying to make ourselves grow in maturity, versus pressing into relationship with God and yielding to His Spirit, trusting Him to help us grow? (If you want to dig deeper, read 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 1:6; 2:13.)

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. Romans 15:1 (NIV)