Mature Christians Are Like Well Worn Blue Jeans—The Process of Achieving "Holeyness"

So how do Christians get to the state described in the previous post? By being used for their intended purposes and being cleaned.

Being Used

Jeans become supple by being worn—a lot. They're put between their wearer and rough, sometimes dirty, conditions, absorbing sweat from the inside and grime from the outside. That’s what changes them from rigid to conforming; the more that happens the more they get broken in.

It’s the same with Christians. We mature when we let God use us for the things He designed us for. That’s often difficult; it puts us between God and tough situations, feeling pressure from both sides. But that’s what takes us from stiff to supple. Just like jeans, we can’t get there if we’re sitting on the shelf.

Being Cleaned

Another way jeans get broken in is by being washed. That grit and grime must be removed periodically and the process of doing so itself fades their original colors.

The same thing happens to maturing Christians; we must regularly get into God’s Word and conversation with Him. That not only cleans us for our next use, but each session takes out a little more of our original, sinfull, nature, making it less and less prominent.

(Images about conforming/yielding to God were posted September 12a, 18a, 18b, 18d, and 23; October 3 and 3a, November 6; and 21, December 8, 12, and 15, 2004 and January 10d, February 18, May 11, June 18 and 27; August 21 and 27; and October 3, 2005.

Images about the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.

Images about diligence/perseverance in doing God’s will were posted on October 1, 3a, 8, and 17 and November 7, 2004 and January 10c, June 11, 13, and 18; July 15 and August 27, 2005.

Images about the fact that God blesses us in order for us to bless others were posted September 12b, 18c, and 18d, 2004 and August 27, 2005.

Images about the importance of exercising the spiritual disciplines were posted September 17a, 18a, and 18d, and October 3a, and 8, 2004 and January 10d and August 27, 2005.)