Peter Pan Christians

I have always joked that my now 20 year old daughter would love to live in Neverland. I teased her about wanting to be Peter Pan. She just didn't want to grow up! She wanted to continue to have fun with a childlike abandon and she wanted to keep the joys of childhood close. Time has a way of forcing its hand and she is a wonderful young lady. She has graduated from college and has a wonderful mature heart that loves and serves well. But she still loves to play and we still love the idea of Neverland. We love the movie Hook and we just watched Finding Neverland. We love practical jokes and teasing one another. We love to have fun together.

So what does that have to do with being a Christian? Last week on the radio, I heard David Jeremiah mention Peter Pan Christians. My ears perked up because of our fascination with Peter Pan. I only heard some of it, but it stuck with me and resonated with me. He described Peter Pan Chhristians as Christians who have taken that first step of faith, but have not matured into living that faith. I am saying it as it affected me, not as he said it. He talked about going into a church that had bickering and strife and how it was just like going into a nursery where all the little ones just wanted their own way. When we as Christians get stuck in our own agendas, rather than in God's, we all want our own way. I continued to think about other ways we were not maturing in the faith. When we continue to live in doubt and worry constantly, we are not trusting as a mature Christian should. When we only want to read and obey the parts of the Bible we like, we are not eating the solid food the Bible offers us so we grow up in Christ. I didn't like the idea of being a Peter Pan Christian at all!

I realized that if I really didn't like it, I better do something about it. I need to keep growing as a Christian. I have to do the things that will allow me to mature in Christ. I must pray. I do pray. I like to pray. But do I listen? I have to read my Bible everday so I am immersed in God's Word. Serving has to be part of my life. Even in sacrificial ways... I need to worship. I will desire God's will. I will want to delight in Him. I will find joy in all things. Jesus will be my strength, my hope, my love.

My Neverland that I will look forward to will be Heaven and I will live in Eternity, whole and complete. But until then, while we admire Peter Pan's youth, we will grow up because time demands it. We can keep our child-like faith, trust and joy! We can have fun! We can play and enjoy life! But as a Christian, I will mature because while I like Peter Pan, I don't want to be a Peter Pan Christian.