Introduction

In Part 1, we explored the idea that mature faith doesn’t involve stress. When we develop to the level of walking in mature faith, we’ll become stress-free. In this post, we’ll go deeper into what it means to grow into mature faith. Using a popular analogy from The Matrix, we’ll see how this growth parallels Neo’s journey of discovering his true potential. We will learn to uncover how mature faith equips us to live above life’s limitations and walk in victory.

What Is Mature Faith?

Mature faith is a state of spiritual growth where trust in God eliminates the stress of life’s uncertainties. As you have read in part 1, it may seem to be controversial or contradictory that a life of walking in mature faith can be stress-free. But stress is initially part of the process of growing one’s faith, until we come to a place where stress diminishes as we rely on God.

As Romans 12:3 reminds us, “… God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

This means we all start with the same portion of faith but are called to develop it through trials and experiences.

When faith matures, we operate from a place of peace, knowing that God is in control. Mark 9:23 reinforces this truth: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mature faith allows us to function stress-free, even in the midst of challenges.

The Role of Stress in Growing Faith

Stress often accompanies the early stages of faith. But when we come to a level of spiritual maturity and awareness, we become unstoppable. We are able to function in the full potential as a child of God is destined to. We become the people God destined us to become, subsequently fulfilling our destiny. 

So as we encounter challenges, we learn to trust God more deeply. Romans 8:31-39 reminds us

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing becomes too much for us to overcome because we are walking in mature faith. We are now aware and comfortable in the realm of the uncomfortable. 

We know that we are more than conquerors and through repeated experiences of God’s faithfulness, our many testimonies of God coming through for us and giving us victory, we build a mental ‘logbook’ of reasons to trust. 

This history of victory enables us to move from fear to faith, eventually reaching a point where stress no longer defines our response to life’s difficulties.

A Journey to Spiritual Maturity

To better understand the process of faith maturity, let’s consider the story of Neo in The Matrix. At the start of the movie, Neo is oblivious to the fact that he is in a system that controls, limits and blinds his mind from grasping that beyond the system, there are no limitations – only possibilities.

Morpheus presented Neo with the opportunity to escape the bubble of limitation and realize his full potential through consuming a Red Pill – or the choice to stay in the system of control and limitation by consuming a Blue Pill. 

Neo chooses the Red Pill and his entire life changes; he begins to see the world from a perspective he has never seen it before. At this point he was at a juvenile stage of growth and development, and was just settling into the realm of zero limitations.

He begins the process of freeing his mind, transitioning from a life lived by sight to one lived by faith. As Neo passes through a series of tests, trials, obstacles and even life-or-death situations, he finally comes to a place of maturity and stability. He functions as ‘The One’ – the person he was destined to become, fulfilling the purpose and destiny he was born for. 

All his trials, tribulations and persecutions from Mr. Smith (The Agent) – a character comparable in our story to the devil – were no longer a match or stressful to Neo. He was now walking in his full potential of maturity (that is to say, in Mature Faith).  

He became comfortable and settled, able to operate and function stress-free in a stressful environment. Metaphorically, he had matured into becoming the one God intended him to be, living freely above whatever the devil and his agents threw at him. We as believers can do similarly by recognizing the reality of this life as Ephesians 6:12 outlines it for us: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.

Like Neo, believers must make a choice. Taking the “Red Pill” symbolizes accepting God’s Word and stepping into a life of faith. 

Now as the child of God takes the Red Pill – which, in our analogy, is comparable to the Word of God – and begins to walk in faith, through testing and trials, he overcomes and grows his faith. learning that there are no limitations. These experiences teach us that there are no limitations in Christ.

As our faith matures, we learn to live above the world’s limitations. Stress gives way to peace, and we become comfortable operating in the “realm of the uncomfortable.” This is the essence of mature faith: living victoriously in a stressful environment without being consumed by it.

Conclusion

Mature faith doesn’t come without effort. As we grow in our trust in God, stress fades, and we learn to live victoriously even in the face of challenges. Just as Neo became unstoppable in The Matrix, we too can walk in the fullness of our God-given potential.

When we reach this level of spiritual maturity, nothing can separate us from the love of God or derail us from fulfilling our destiny. Let’s strive to grow in faith, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us. Amen!