1 Corinthians 13:11-12
"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. For now I see as through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even also as I am known."
The carnal view of this:
The ageless progression of the human application has always been slowed by the lack of desire to "grow up."
In times past the "need" to be committed and thought out about the very immediate future was non ignore-able. You either put your back to the plow for food or heat or any other "life necessity" or you suffered the consequences, you and your family. This has a great maturing effect on men and women who lived during those days. Life was short and hard but the general society was a more mature early on, again because life was short due to hardness.
There wasn't much time to "stay a child."
Today with all our so called "advancements" that have made life easier (I am not against those advancements) as a society, with more time on our hands for relaxation, we have been allowed to "stay as children" as long as we want only as long as it doesn't crowd our need for "continuance."
The lack of the need for "growing up" has had a profound effect on our society especially in the area's of morals and roll models. It is a fact that when "moral values" start heading south so does commitment and ethics.
This is clearly shown in the number of divorces, diverse sexual freedoms, crime, and a higher expectation for our employers to put up with our immaturity in general. There are other areas but these are the ones that cover the most ground when expanded.
Is all of society like this? No "or we would of become as Sodom and Gomorrah." But enough of society has grasped this excuse to continue in "child likeness" to effect every facet of our lives. Just consider the effect of this "thinking as a child" has had on the performance of our gov't, public education, marriage, work ethics, and general moral practices we enforce by law today.
We have become so lopsided as a society that whoever disagrees with our ever increasing moral collapse we deem a "hate crime."
I am sure there will be a lot of argument here and different opinions on this topic but just remember this: most all our arguments against a moral background comes from the need to defend or own positions or practices. No one wants to really wants to hold the candle of Truth in our own closet of allowances.
I used to tell our children this: "The worst lie you can tell is the one that you tell yourself ............then believe." Most all our calamity comes from just that. Convincing ourselves, against our good conscience, to do that which we know is wrong defiantly.
If this is the roll model we are offering our children then we are reinforcing our rebellion to good moral character in them, and our reaping down the road will be 30, 60, or 100 fold.
Again not all people are like this, but the numbers are increasing in this practice daily. Again: look at our leaders, look at the condition for more and more allowances around us.
I could go on and on but that gets the picture across of "maturing out of childhood" and becoming a man of responsibility and commitment, to wife, children, work, governance, ect.
Now for the spiritual application of 1 Cor 13:11-12
The whole chapter is talking about True Love, Unconditional Love and certain gifts of the Holy Spirit given to believers. These verses come after a long litany of what Love is and how that Love needs to mature in us out of the "child" state into the Unconditional state. This is done when the "Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" and we see "face to face" instead as "through a glass darkly" the redeeming Love of Christ.
We make the decision to mature in Christ and in His Love that we have received and pass it on to others. We will no longer "know in part" the Love of God but we will "know it even as we are known" in the reception of it. Love will become automatic to others even as it was thus given to us. It will mature pass the child stage from being a decision to an instant reality.
Lets face it our spiritual maturity produces our carnal actions. Becoming spiritually mature will influence our family's, our gov't, our marriages, in fact all of society. It will bring moral cognizance to a higher level and in time alleviate much of the moral dissidence we have as a society today. The more people who "grow up" and "become a man", putting childish things away, the more our society will rise up and bless all of its participants.
Remember that whatever you see going on around you is a direct representation of the moral condition of man that makes up that society.
True morality is only found in the One that never changes: Jesus Christ. When more Christians start maturing in the faith and leaving childhood there will be a greater influence for good on our society and the maturing thereof.
For every question Christ is the answer.
For every problem Christ is the solution.
Christ is God and God is Love.
Love is the answer.
Let us put aside childish things and Love one another "face to face."
love
J&E in Tn
