Put Away Childish Things

"Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature."-1 Corinthians 14:20

Peter Pan, a character created from the imagination of J.M. Barrie circa 1904, is best known as an ill-behaved boy who flies. He became so famous that there are hundreds of productions and byproducts of his tale even to this day. All over the world, people have resonated with this naughty boy who stubbornly proclaimed, “I won’t grow up”.

Not everybody grows up. Sadly, children die and some even in the womb. But what about Christians who grow up on the outside but in their thinking, they remain childish? Our childlike faith in God will cause us to mature, to leave behind our childish ways, and become more like Christ.

What’s the litmus test to discover if you are developing as a man or woman of faith? Is it the eloquence of your prayers? Is it the litany of verses that roll off your tongue with the greatest of ease? Or perhaps it’s the family pew you donated to your church? No, the test of maturity is how you think. Are you self-absorbed with the next “big” thing you are going to do? Are you easily offended? Does it bother you when someone is praised, and you are not? Do you entertain gossip and find it easy to lie?

A large part of being mature in your thinking is having the ability to handle anger and frustration as well jealousy and discontent. What you think about makes a real difference in your spiritual life. If you maintain a thankful attitude and focus on the goodness of the Lord, you will change and grow in His grace. Make the most of the life God gave you for it is soon gone, and you fly away.