“CHILDISH WAYS!”

1 Corinthians 13:11-12                  (ESV)

“11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up “CHILDISH WAYS”.

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Being who we are isn’t a bad thing, as long as we realize that we are are in a constant maturation process, continuing to grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The Apostle Paul was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee”, and always a thinker.  But when HE was “called out of darkness into HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT” (1 Peter 2:9) he started SEEING things in an entirely different way.  

Saul (as he was known before his transformation) was educated by “this world’s” standards to a level of hypocrisy that is prevalent in today’s society.  WISDOM comes from GOD (Proverbs 2:6-8) and therefore confounds those who are “educated” by earthly wisdom.  Being a child and thinking like a child could be likened to Saul, not being able to SEE things of a Spiritual manner (1 Corinthians 2:14-15) because he wasn’t OF THE SPIRIT.  

But when he became Paul and started SEEING things of the SPIRIT, his eyes were opened to another world, a Spiritual World.  SEEING things Spiritually causes us to look at things in a totally different light.  He didn’t forget the things of his childhood, but he did give them up!  The “former man” was who he used to be, but now he was a “new man”!  

The “CHILDISH WAYS” of our youth, AND OUR LOSTNESS, can be a valuable tool to prevent us from being ensnared by the enemy as we mature.   We have to put away the “CHILDISH WAYS” and strive for the more Spiritual Ways.  We are NOT who we once were, and we need to get past our “CHILDISH WAYS” and SEE TRUTH!!!