10 Major Signs of Spiritual Maturity
Have you ever felt a yearning for something deeper in life, a sense of purpose beyond the usual daily grind? This yearning might be a sign you’re on a path toward spiritual maturity.
Spiritual maturity is not about suddenly being enlightened out of nowhere or achieving some mystical state.
It is a journey of self-discovery, connecting with the essence of your existence – your soul – as you see the world in a different light, honoring nature and destiny, cultivating deep compassion, and finding your place in the grand tapestry of existence.
This article will delve into the key characteristics of a spiritually mature person. By understanding these signs, you can gain valuable insight into your own spiritual growth and continue on your path to a more fulfilling life.
Here’s an overview:
- What is Spiritual Maturity?
- 11 Major Signs of Spiritual Maturity
- The Connection Between Emotional and Spiritual Maturity
What is Spiritual Maturity?
Spiritual maturity is a lifelong process of cultivating a deep connection with something larger than yourself. This connection manifests in many forms:
- Connection with God
- Connection with Nature
- Deep care for humanity
- Connecting with your deeper purpose of existence
- Feeling a sense of responsibility to serve a higher purpose than just living for yourself.
As you mature spiritually, you develop a greater understanding of yourself, your place in the world, and how to live a life filled with meaning and purpose.
You don’t seek absolute perfection within yourself or outside, but you do commit and strive to become the best possible version of yourself and live a life of integrity.
It’s the deep inner grounded connection with your soul that subtly begins to dictate your life, instead of your whims, emotions, and desires.
By the way, you don’t have to be a monk or dress like a hippie with beads around your neck to be a spiritual person (shocking right! Who would’ve thought?). Those are totally not among the signs of spirituality.
Here are the 11 major signs that you are actually on a path to spiritual maturity.
11 Major Signs of Spiritual Maturity
While there are many subtle signs and changes in your character and personality as you grow spiritually mature, these 11 signs are the most prominent changes in your thoughts and actions.
1. You Study Yourself Like a Subject
Self-awareness is the foundation of spiritual growth. Spiritually mature people are constantly learning about themselves, their strengths, weaknesses, and triggers.
The thought of reaching the pinnacle of your character and soul begins to dominate your life and dictate your life choices, decisions, and behaviors.
You become the biggest project of your life and not in a narcissistic, self-centered way, but in a way that is beneficial for the world and serves humanity in some form
You become very mindful of your actions and interactions with yourself and with the world. You analyze your weaknesses and commit to improving them.
This isn’t about self-criticism, but rather honest introspection. You observe their thoughts, feelings, and reactions without judgment. By understanding your inner workings, you can navigate life’s challenges with greater awareness and grace.
2. You’ve Learned to Forgive Others
Holding onto grudges is like constantly carrying a heavy backpack – it slows you down, tires you unnecessarily, and hinders your progress. So you learn to forgive having this understanding in mind, knowing that it’s detrimental to your soul and mental health.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean condoning someone’s actions, but rather releasing the negativity and choosing to move forward. It’s about letting go of the resentment and anger that can cloud your judgment and peace of mind.
Forgiveness allows you to break free from the cycle of negativity that continues to run in your mind long after the interaction.
3. You Find Gratitude and Pleasure in the Small Blessings of Life
One of the prominent signs of spiritual maturity is the ability to appreciate the simple joys of life and be grateful for your share of blessings.
When you learn to focus on your blessings instead of the imperfections of your life, and consciously choose gratitude over complaining regardless of the circumstance of your life, you’ve truly set on the path of spiritual maturity.
Taking the time to savor a beautiful sunset, or a delicious meal, feeling thankful for someone’s kind gesture, or being grateful for just having a normal day knowing that it is better than a lot of people creates a deep sense of contentment.
When you cultivate gratitude for the little things, you shift your perspective from a sense of lack to one of abundance. This appreciation is what creates a true sense of joy and well-being.
4. You are Focused on Your Ultimate Purpose
Spiritually mature people have a sense of purpose that drives them.
This purpose might be to work toward alleviating some problem in the world, creating something that can serve as an inspiration and guidance for the generation to come, or simply be a good parent, son/daughter, or a serving member of the community.
Whatever your specific purpose may be, aligning your actions with it brings a sense of fulfillment and direction to your life.
5. You’ve Stopped Comparing Your Life to Other People
Social media and societal pressures often lead to the trap of comparison. When you compare yourself to others, you lose sight of your unique path and inherent value.
Spiritual growth comes with self-acceptance and spiritually mature people celebrate the successes of others without feeling diminished.
They understand that everyone’s journey is different, everyone’s blessings are different, and that everyone has their own unique fate and destiny.
They have no beef with God or fate about why someone is apparently more blessed than them in a certain area, but they know that they too are blessed and they too have some “unfair advantages” in certain areas of life.
6. You’ve Reached a Place of Inner Contentment and Peace
Inner peace is not the absence of challenges, but rather the ability to navigate them with calmness and resilience.
Life inevitably throws curveballs at every single one of us, but spiritual maturity allows you to weather these storms with grace. You learn to accept what is out of your control and focus your energy on what you can influence – your thoughts, actions, and reactions.
7. The Ability to Empathize With Your Enemies and Those Who Disagree With You
Seeing the world from another’s perspective requires mental and spiritual maturity and allows for greater understanding and compassion.
This doesn’t mean agreeing with everything everyone says, but rather trying to understand their worldview, belief systems, motivations, and their unique experiences.
Spiritual maturity gives you the ability to hold space for differing viewpoints without reaching immediate judgment.
8. You’ve Learned to Forgive Yourself
Everyone makes mistakes. However, dwelling on past mistakes can be a major hindrance in one’s progress, as well as character development.
Forgiveness allows you to let go of the past, learn from your experiences, and move forward with a lighter heart. It’s about accepting yourself as a human being who is constantly learning and evolving.
9. You are Mindful of the Motivations and Intentions Behind Your Actions
Taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions before you act demonstrates self-control and a commitment to living with integrity.
Reflecting on your intention becomes your natural pattern. You find yourself well aware of the intents and motivations behind your actions, and you catch them immediately when they aren’t truly sincere or conflict with your values.
Spiritual maturity also enables you to consider the potential consequences of your actions and choose those that align with your values. This mindful approach creates a greater sense of authenticity and personal power in your character and personality.
10. You Choose Reflection Over Reaction and Judgment
Life can often be a rollercoaster of experiences, emotions, and different kinds of interactions. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to react impulsively based on limited information.
However, spiritual maturity encourages taking a step back from situations and thoughtfully considering the bigger picture. This involves reflecting on what happened, your emotional response, and the potential reasons behind someone’s actions or events that unfolded.
By taking time for introspection, you gain a clearer understanding of the situation and can choose a more measured response.
11. Your Love for the Material World is Replaced by Love for Humanity and God
While material possessions can bring temporary satisfaction, a spiritually mature person finds deeper fulfillment in connection with something greater than themself. This connection can take many forms, depending on individual beliefs.
For some, it’s a love for humanity and a passion to contribute to the greater good. For others, it might be a deep desire to actualize their true potential, become the best in their respective roles, and leave a legacy for others to benefit from.
This shift in focus brings a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to life. It allows you to find joy in giving and serving others, rather than solely focusing on acquiring possessions.
A bigger house, a better car, the latest gadget – these possessions promise happiness but often leave us feeling empty and wanting more. Spiritual maturity involves a shift in focus, a transformation from the fleeting pleasures of the material world to a love for God and the beautiful world He created.
Here I must mention that it’s unfortunate that we’ve separated the concept of spirituality from God in the modern age. I deeply believe that the connection and love of God really matter when it comes to dealing with the turbulences of life and the chaos of our own thoughts and emotions.
It’s what helps us immensely to stay grounded and have an anchor that keeps us rooted to our true purpose. It’s what fills that “void” that so many within our generation feel nowadays, and are unable to find deep contentment and meaning even after having all the blessings of life.
As your love for God deepens, you begin to see material possessions for what they truly are – tools and blessings to be used in His service. You find greater joy in giving to others and using your resources to spread love and help solve problems of the world than in accumulating possessions for yourself.
This shift in focus brings a profound sense of peace and fulfillment. It allows you to experience true joy that comes from a connection with something eternal and unchanging.
As you surrender your heart to God and His will, you experience a transformation that is difficult to capture in words.
The Connection of Emotional and Spiritual Maturity
Spiritual and emotional maturity are two sides of the same coin. As you learn to manage your emotions, cope with challenges, and develop emotional intelligence, you also deepen your spiritual connection.
When people try to become spiritual without emotional maturity and turn a blind eye to practical life, that is when we see unhinged spiritual people who fall into delusion, hatred, toxic positivity, and neglect the rules of practical life.
A person’s spiritual growth relies on 3 main qualities that only come from true mental/emotional maturity:
- Emotional intelligence allows you to understand your own emotions and triggers, which is crucial for self-awareness, a key aspect of spiritual growth.
When you’re aware of your emotional state, you can respond proactively to life’s happenings, and choose healthy coping mechanisms instead of letting your emotions dictate your actions. This allows for mindful decision-making,
- Self-regulation is your ability to have control over your actions and behaviors. It’s basically self-control which helps you manage your emotions in healthy ways, preventing them from clouding your judgment or leading to impulsive actions.
Emotional maturity equips you with the skills to manage those emotions effectively. Instead of reacting impulsively in anger or frustration, you can take a step back, process your feelings, and choose a more measured response.
This emotional regulation allows you to think clearly and tap into your roots i.e. connect with the guidance of your soul.
- Empathy and compassion are essential for connecting with others on a deeper level. As you develop these qualities, you cultivate a sense of connection to humanity which is a core aspect of spiritual maturity.
Developing empathy and compassion also helps you develop strong, supportive relationships that are essential for both emotional and spiritual well-being.
Emotional intelligence and maturity allow you to communicate effectively, resolve conflict constructively, and build healthy bonds with others.
When you work on your emotional maturity, you create a fertile ground for spiritual growth. This is a lifelong process, it’s important to keep that in mind.
I have a full series of articles surrounding the topic of emotional maturity, make sure to check it out. You can start with THIS GUIDE on how to attain emotional maturity.
I hope I served you well in this post. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you!
Take good care of yourself. I’ll talk to you soon!
