1 Cor. 13:11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
According to this verse, what is our spiritual imperfection like? The
Bible likens it to childishness. There is an apparent difference between
children and adults - at least there should be! How do adults and children
act and reason differently? As this verse points out, there are three
different areas in our lives that childishness shows up: the way we speak,
our ability to understand things, and the way we think. Are you struggling
in either of these areas, dear lady? Could it be that though you've been
saved for quite some time now, you are still playing with toys, still
engaged in childlike behavior? Are you in moral and spiritual bondage?
Galatians 4:3, "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under
the elements of the world:"
It's perfectly natural for children to want to play with toys; we expect
that of them. But there comes a time when that desire ought to disappear,
amen? As they mature, we expect children to no longer be enthralled with
the toys that captured their attention when younger. Mother, if your 16
year old son or daughter still liked playing with a rattle or sucking
their thumb, wouldn't you be more than a little worried?? So too, God
expects His children to mature; to start speaking, understanding, and
thinking like a grown-up Christian. You see ladies, our salvation is not
the ending, but the beginning point of our life in Christ! After we are
born-again, we must grow and we must lay aside "childish things"...
1 Peter 2:1, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies,
and envies, and all evil speakings..."
Can you honestly say you have weaned yourself from these childish types
of behavior listed above? If not, you are still playing with the toys
of an immature Christian! You're operating with only partial understanding....
You're thinking like a kid... You're speaking baby-talk! It's time to
pick up the tools of the mature believer, amen? Yes, weaning is a difficult
stage of maturing. A child being weaned probably feels like everything
is against him, but we mothers know that is simply not true! It's good
for them. From an adult perspective, we understand that weaning will provide
the baby more liberty... Though no infant enjoys being weaned, he can
never become a man until it happens! Temporary helps become permanent
hindrances... There are no shortcuts. If you don't surrender to the maturing
process, you will only become more immature!
Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the
rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
What is the real condition of your heart today, dear lady? Do you have
the heart of a child in an adult body? Is your understanding limited by
foolish concepts? Is your speech permeated with foolish topics of conversation?
Are your thoughts absorbed with silly notions? Foolishness is being weak
in intellect. Do you lack wisdom and good judgment as a Christian in general?
Then you've got some growing up to do! You leave God no choice but to
correct you; to bring trials and tribulations into your life to force
you to put down your toys and pick up the tools of maturity. As a child,
you may interpret such treatment as rejection or view it as unloving,
or pout and think it unfair, not recognizing the true value in your difficulties.
However, your heavenly Father will encourage you to grow and enter into
the challenges of the future, rather than reside in the comforts of the
past.
1 Cor. 14:20, "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in
malice be ye children, but in understanding be men."
As we mature in our understanding and behavior, our concerns will be less
in the arena of self, and more in the arena of service. We will voluntarily
put away our toys without being asked because of love - love for God and
love for man. How has your demonstration of love been of late? Is it full
proof of your maturity or confirmation of your immaturity? For example,
the childish attitude of envy, when tempered by love, turns into a desire
to promote others rather than compete with them. Malice, as mentioned
above, is extreme ill will toward an individual. However, when controlled
by the love of God, it is an evil toy that is put away in exchange for
a sincere desire to help and pray for others rather than hurt them or
see them destroyed. In growing up, we are able to bear the imperfection
of others, amen? Ladies, the Lord does not want immaturity to saturate
all we do, He wants our words and actions to be wrapped in love, to be
established in in maturity. I read a comment recently stating that man
has just enough religion to hate, but not enough to love... How true that
is, amen?
Proverbs 10:12, "Hatred stirreth up strifes : but love covereth all sins."
Here again, the contrast is clearly seen between childish behavior and
mature behavior, divided by a tiny little colon. As a matter of fact,
it is very similar to our opening verse, also divided the same way....
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child : but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The question is, which side of that colon do you belong on??
God Bless, Pam Isaiah 60:1&2 Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello Back to Top
