"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11
John Lennon wrote a song called, "All You Need Is Love" and the lyrics say, "There's nothing you can do that can't be done, nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy. All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need. Nothing you can know that isn't known. Nothing you can see that isn't shown. Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy. All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need."
While John Lennon had the right intent in trying to get the world to embrace love he was lacking wisdom and discernment because while love is the most excellent way as we have learned in this study; God has also given us more of Himself through imparting spiritual gifts to His body. God wants us to operate in those gifts to build up, edify, and strengthen one another and to use those gifts as a way of ministering to the needs of people. But unless we become mature in our understanding of the gifts and their operation we will never be effective in using them to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is what Paul is telling us in 1 Corinthians 13:11 when he says, "When I was a child, I spoke 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 essence he is saying grow up. Learn to love first and then as you move in the gifts God has given you don't fight about who is bigger, better, wiser, etc. You are all needed and necessary parts of the body. If you spend any amount of time around a group of children you will witness many fights and arguments over trivial matters that don't amount to anything. If you try to reason with them they will argue with you and if you tryto stop them they will continue to press the issue. Why? Because they are immature and believe wholeheartedly that what they are doing is right and they believe their case is worthy to be defended. They are lacking wisdom and discernment! If you were to track those children into adulthood and show them a video of the fight they would tell you how foolish and immature they were back then.
This is what Paul is trying to get the Corinthian Church andus today to understand. Remember Paul persecuted and killed people because he truly believed that he was doing the work of God. No one could have convinced him he was wrong at the time. It wasn'tuntil he had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ on the Damascus road that he came to understand the error of his ways. And it was after that where his life was transformed and he became the voice of God for all people who have said yes to a relationship with Jesus Christ! So Paul understands what immaturity can do in a person's life and what it can do to the lives of the people around them. It destroys them!
We have to be willing to be taught and be willing to grow up in wisdom and understanding or we will do the same things to ourselves and the people in our lives. We don't want to be a people like those in Corinth who Paul said, "And I, brethren, could not speakto you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-1)
Peter also said something similar in 1 Peter 2:1-3 when he said, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Also see Hebrews 5:12-14 and Ephesians 4:14 for further study. It is time we put away our childish ideas, beliefs, and actions so we can become effectual in presenting the pure Word of God to the people we are ministering to. It is time to set aside childish words that destroy the people around us. It is time to become Christ like in our thoughts, words, and actions! Becoming spiritually mature is a process that takes time but in the end it leads to a life that reflects JesusChrist! It is worth it!
Paul said that he spoke, understood, and thought as achild. Isn't that exactly what children do? They speak first, then understand,and then think. But a mature adult is to think first, understand second, and then speak because in the midst of the thinking and understanding we are being taught by the Holy Spirit and for the mature person who submits to what they are being taught; their words become life giving! Tomorrow we will look at what Paul meant when he said, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (1Corinthians 13:12)
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