“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.” - 1 Corinthians 13:11 (BSB)

When did you become a man? Did somebody tell you that you were a man? Was it when you got a drivers license? First job? High school graduation? Got married or had kids? While many cultures celebrate a rite of passage which commemorates the transition from childhood to manhood, few in our Western culture today have had such a defining experience. Drawing from the experience of Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13:11, the moment you become a man is the moment you choose to “set aside childish ways.” The truth is, many men do not feel like men because they haven’t made that choice and as such, they have fully developed bodies and infantile or adolescent attitudes, behaviors, and ways. Maturity takes different forms however, and a man must set aside childish ways in each of these areas in order to grow into mature manhood. Here is a list of 5 different forms of maturity that every man should strive for -

1. Spiritual Maturity that transforms a man from the inside out. Becoming a Christian is about far more than punching a ticket to get into heaven when you die. The call of a Christian is to put to death “the old man” and become a man who embodies Christ to his family, community, and world. Spiritual maturity begins when a man gets into God’s Word, but only reaches its fullness when God’s Word gets into the man. Spiritual transformation requires growing up with God.
   
   
2. Emotional Maturity that builds relationships, not bulldozes them. A man who does not know how to manage his emotions will not only push away or tear down others, but he will also sabotage himself and the future he longs for. While a high IQ may get a man into the university of his dreams, only a high EQ will get that man into the long-lasting, life-giving relationships which give his dreams color.
   
   
3. Moral Character Maturity that is forged and revealed by fire. Moral steadfastness and resilient character are not gifts, but traits that must be developed through intentional effort, testing, and trial. Understanding moral standards and foundational character traits are essential, but to grow as a man of moral character maturity means learning moral reasoning and developing the resolve to live according to one's values no matter the cost.
   
   
4. Sexual Maturity that makes a man a master, not a slave of his sexuality. While adolescent and worldly thinking promotes the ideas of sexual indulgence, conquest, and exploration as signs of manhood, true maturity is demonstrated through sexual integrity, and the ability to not base identity and self-worth on sexual activity or sexuality. Sexual maturity means being a man who is able to think, talk, and behave sexually in a way that honors God, honors women (primarily a man’s wife), and honors himself.
   
   
5. Financial Maturity that makes a man a steward of his wealth. Beginning with learning how to work, how to hold a job and build a career, a man must learn to mature with increased capacity for wealth. A man of financial maturity understands that his wealth is not his worth, and he cannot buy his significance, identity, or belonging in this life. Instead, the man who has a mature view of money is committed to managing his money wisely, responsibly, and generously.

Maturity into manhood is an ongoing journey best shared in community with other men. When we pursue these goals with like-minded men, we will continue to grow in maturity as we learn how to talk like a man, think like a man, and reason like a man. We put away the childish things while pursuing the things of God, who designed us to be men, and gave us the perfect model of manhood in Jesus of Nazareth. In Jesus, we find all the marks of manhood completely.

To take your next steps towards maturing into manhood, consider joining or starting an IMPACT Cohort study going through The Marks of Manhood.