Put Childish Thinking Away

The challenge we face in an honest discernment of our own maturity is the willingness to be honest first and foremost about our own need to grow up. Start with you, dear one.

The older I get, the more I see myself reacting to today’s culture in full “Old Man Yelling at a Cloud” mode! And I promised myself when I was younger that I wouldn’t be that kind of “old man.” And yet, there really are deeply troubling consequences of foolish and unwise behaviors that seem to flow from immaturity! But I guess that’s all part of growing up.

Make no mistake, though; we must grow up if we are ever going to avoid repeating immature choices and being enslaved to immature ideology. A wise man once said “If you’re not a Liberal in your 20’s, you have no heart. But if you’re still a liberal in your 40’s, you have no head!” I think I know what he means here. We cannot expect our lives to produce anything of lasting value if we are constantly governed by our feelings and emotions. We must grow up if we are ever going to learn how to live as mature and wise people.

It’s not easy, and it requires both humility and a willingness to hear from us old dudes about wisdom that has proved durable and reliable.

Look at our lesson today in 1 Corinthians 13:11-14; 14:1-5: