I remember years ago, I overheard one of my fellow staff members telling men in the Colony that they needed to “GROW UP”. I was unsettled that he was so abrupt with the men so I took my co-worker aside and asked him to consider being a bit gentler. He chuckled and explained WHY he told them to GROW UP. Now, years later, I have to agree with him; sometimes the best encouragement to someone is to GROW UP. Oh, we might find a gentle way to say it, but the bottom line is the same.

Recently, during our staff enrichment, another staff member shared briefly a verse from 1 Corinthians 13:11, “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.” For whatever reason, God opened my eyes to that verse in a fresh way. He clearly pointed out an area of my life that I am still acting and living as a child. Immature. It is an area that I have not had much victory and have not let Gospel grace have its transforming impact.
What areas of your life are you still clinging to your “childish ways”? You know those areas where you are still doing things your way rather than God’s way. In what areas do you struggle? Perhaps you have been struggling with for years? Areas where you have consistently chosen disobedience rather than obedience. Areas where the Gospel has yet to reach deeply into your heart and change you?

Oh, please don’t act so shocked, or am I the only one?

Well, let me share with you what my co-worker shared . . . GROW UP. “When I became a (wo)man, I gave up childish ways.” May that be true of us.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.