im-Maturity

What makes someone mature or immature? By what (or by whose) standards are they gauged?

I conceive maturity -- and immaturity, for that matter, to apply to many things. A person can be mature in age but immature in mind, immature in ways but mature of thought, mature emotionally but immature spiritually, immature in speech but mature physically. Who is more mature, the man who runs a business efficiently but cheats on his wife or the man who enjoys seemingly childish things but stays faithful to his wife and makes time for his family? The man who graduates with honors from the best univesity in the country but with no morals or the man who didn't get into college but makes sure to treat everyone fairly? The man who is childlike in speech but has profound thoughts and actions or the man who speaks of honor, duty, and courage but has no idea how to apply them in his life?

In the end, only God has the right gauge. When it comes to standards, only the standards of the one with the relevant authority will count -- all the rest become immaterial. Take constitutional law for example, the president may propose a bill that meets his standards but Congress may overrule him if the majority thinks it doesn't meet their standards. In the same way, Congress may pass a bill but if the Supreme Court finds it doesn't meet its standards it has the right to declare the bill unconstitutional. Of course, with God everything is under Him so all gauges should be set according to His standards. He never looks at the outward manifestations but at the inner man. Maturity according to His standards is gauged by the individual's maturity in His Word, his spiritual maturity. When maturity in that is attained, it can be applied to every aspect in life.

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
2Peter 3:18

"And beside this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (Love). For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2Peter 1:5-10

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
1Peter 2:2

"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:13-14