As one moves from childhood to adulthood, various changes occur in one’s physical body, relationships, responsibilities, maturity, knowledge, wisdom, and so on. However, many people do not want to grow up and put away childish things, whether that be in the form of a refusal to take on adult responsibilities or a reluctance to outgrow childhood obsessions (like toys and entertainment).
Paul used this basic principle of growth and maturity as an analogy for our spiritual lives.
“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).
In this article, we will consider some “childish things” we are to put away from a spiritual standpoint.
The Need for Miraculous, Direct Revelation
“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:8-11).
In the context of his statement about putting away childish things, Paul was discussing the temporary nature of miraculous spiritual gifts. These would only last until “the perfect comes,” which refers to the completed revelation of God to man.* Until this was completed, miraculous prophecies, tongues, and knowledge were necessary (cf. Romans 1:11).
With the completed word, we have “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Through the word, we are able to grow (Acts 20:32), teach (1 Peter 4:11), and test what we are taught (Acts 17:11). We lack nothing that we need in this regard.
However, some are not content with the revealed word of God. They want more. They want there to be more revelation, even though Jude said “the faith…was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3), and Paul warned that anyone who brings a different message from the one revealed by the apostles “is to be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). Yet so many people want God to speak directly to them. This is a childish attitude. Instead, we must be mature and be content with what God has revealed.
A Limited Understanding of God’s Will
“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20).
Some characteristics of children are to be emulated, and Paul mentioned one of them in the verse above (innocence). Other characteristics are to be avoided, including a limited understanding of God’s will.
Everyone has a period in their life of immaturity in regard to their knowledge of God’s word. Peter described the time of being “like newborn babes, [who] long for the pure milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2). But everyone should grow out of that into a state of maturity. The Hebrew writer rebuked his brethren for needing “someone to teach [them] the elementary principles of the oracles of God,” even though enough time had passed that they “ought to be teachers” themselves (Hebrews 5:12-14). But in order to teach, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s word.
How can we do this? There are a few practical things we can do:
- Read the word of God – “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). While this verse is specifically about reading publicly, the fact that this is helpful in public proves that it is something we ought to do in private as well. Some people benefit from following a Bible reading plan. But whether you follow a pre-planned schedule or not, the most important thing is maintaining a regular habit of reading the Bible.
- Study the word of God – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This is more than reading. This involves effort to learn how to handle God’s word aright.
- Meditate on the word of God – “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. […] I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:97, 99). To meditate on God’s word requires us to commit it to memory, so reading and studying must come first. Once we do that, taking time to sit and think about God’s word will help us deepen our understanding of it.
- Write the word of God – “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). This is something we may not think about, but writing down the Scriptures will help us retain what we read in them. Related to this, it is often helpful to make notes about what we read and study as well.
- Hear the word of God – “Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:2-3). We can listen to sermons (whether in the assembly, in audio recordings, or streamed online) or recorded Bible readings as a way to hear the word of God.
- Practice the word of God – “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). The more we do the things the Bible teaches us to do, the more we will see the wisdom of God and understand why He told us certain things in His word.
All of that is doable for each one of us. A lack of understanding of God’s will is childish. We must “press on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1) instead.
Being Easily Swayed by Others
“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
Christians are like children when they are easily persuaded by false teachers and accept anything that “sounds good.” We are to grow to maturity, and as Paul explained in this context, the church is designed to help this happen (Ephesians 4:11-13, 16).
We are not to believe everything we hear. John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). We are to “retain the standard of sound words” which was taught by the apostles (2 Timothy 1:13), while false teachers try to lead us to follow a different standard. Of course, there are times when we need to change (if we have a misunderstanding on a topic or believe something in error), but we need to be careful and test what we are taught. Paul admonished the brethren in Thessalonica, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
It is childish to believe everything that is said to us, or to follow someone for frivolous reasons. We must be mature, always holding fast to the word of God.
Being Completely Dependent upon Parents
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
In marriage, a man leaves his parents and forms a new household with his wife. This principle of independence from parents applies spiritually as well. Moses was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter, yet when he grew up, he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26). We need to have this same independent spirit, especially when it comes to choosing to follow God.
Jesus explained that pleasing God must take precedence over pleasing our family: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). Not everyone would follow Christ, and if our family members refuse to follow Him, we must side with the Lord.
Of course, we do want to recognize that children absolutely benefit from godly parents (Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15), and this benefit continues into adulthood. But it is childish to rely upon our parents for our faith. Our faith must be our own.
Conclusion
Growing up is a part of life, including our spiritual lives. Let us grow spiritually by being content with the word God revealed, growing in our understanding of it, refusing to be swayed by false teachers, and following the Lord no matter what anyone around us does. Growth is a process. We will not become spiritually mature overnight. We need to work at it every day so that we can please the Lord to the best of our abilities.
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* For a more in-depth explanation about how God’s revelation to man is complete, see this article: Is Divine Revelation Ongoing Today?
