Focus: Grow Up and Stop Kidding!

Text: 1Cor.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."

In this text Paul is painting a picture of a time in God's eschaton (or future) when spiritual gifts will no longer be in use. In Paul's analogy, he describes two periods of his life: childhood and adulthood. Interestingly, the gap between the two is very broad.

It is okay to be a child, but pitiable to stay same. It is a problem if a child is not growing. For ever a child is a serious disease, known as arrested development.

The word used for 'child' here is nepios in Greek. It's a compound word: ne, a negative; and epos, to speak. Put together it means 'unable to speak.' A nepiotic person has not learned to use words. He can't make use of syllables or make sense of anything. Growth has yet to set in. Even when he manages to make use of his vocal cords, he speaks but as a nepios.

Paul says in effect, 'I used to speak, think, and reason as a nepios.' He was used to being that way. But he goes on to say, "When I became a man (and remain so), I put away childish things." Mark that word 'when.' Paul didn't says, 'if,' but when.' Don't let your spiritual development be under probability. Growth is something possible, not probable.

I pray we grow up and keep growing up - maturing in spirituality. Paul uses the tense that implies that once a man, always a man. No relapsing. No retarding. No going back to where one had once been.

The word "put away" is katargeo in Greek. It means 'to cut off, to render useless, to destroy, to render inoperative.' There is a connotation of force in its use. To get a certain result you must apply force.

Paul seems to say, 'Having become a man, I have made to cease childish ways. I have done away with childish manners.'

You can do same. You can sever spiritual childishness from your life. It's time to embrace God's new reality - the reality of spiritual adulthood.

The Scripture says of Moses, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter" (Heb.11:24). That is God's approved refusal. A new reality dawns on Moses. He has come of age. Maturity has set in. Moses can now count the pros and the cons. He has reached the time of adult decisions. Moses now knows how to say NO and stand on it. He decides against the throne of Egypt.

The throne of Egypt loses attraction for him. His God-ordained destiny has become the dominant thing in his life. He prefers the will of God to the wishes of men.

Spiritual maturity brings you to where you catch a sight of the invisible and embrace spiritual verities. It's time to give up childishness and foolishness. Come to terms with God's reality.

It is childish to live in unforgiveness as a Christian. It is childish to be selfish. It is childish to love only those who love you and hate only those who hate you. It is childish to live only for oneself.

Paul says, "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men" (1Cor.14:20). And again, he says, "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph.4:14).

Let us grow up. Infantile nonsense must give way to mature life in Christ. Think and talk maturely. Believe right and behave accordingly. Grow up and stop kidding.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter