It's Time For Us To Grow Up

There is nothing consistent or permanent in life. As a child we thought everything was eternal; our family was always going to be the same; we will always live in the same place, have the same friends, do the same things. That is the limited perspective of a child but as we grow older we begin to realize how temporary everything is. There is nothing consistent or permanent in life. Everything changes.

Well, that's not exactly true but to make my point let's assume it is. We are told that even important matters such as the gifts of the Spirit are only temporary:

But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 12:8)

These will not disappear because God will remove them but instead because they are a temporary part of our 'childhood'. We can't forget that we are growing toward a goal, a purpose. It is sad in life that many people stop maturing at a certain point. They reach that point in life where they become satisfied and then they just exist. There is no progress, no more learning, no more revelations, no more growth. It is the same spiritually but we have to beat that because we have a greater goal than this place:

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (1 Corinthians 13:9-10)

That is the scary part when it comes to many Christians; they fail to accept what we have here so how will they ever handle the perfection that is coming. The manifestation of the Spirit is only a small taste of our new creation state of being. When Jesus comes to call us home everything will change for us when he brings us into perfection. If we can't handle the gift of healing in this place how will we ever accept what we will become with perfection? We are suppose to be progressing in our maturity, growing toward the whole measure of the fullness of Jesus, yet we can't even bring ourselves to know the Word of God. We have to at least get to the point of knowing that we need to mature:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Yes, we are only children in this place but Jesus will be bringing us into full adulthood. We can at least be mature children here with all the limitations of a child. We know there is a difference between a toddler in diapers and a ten year old who has learned to do most things for himself. I don't want to be found in a diaper when Jesus returns. But we also acknowledge that a ten year old does not have the knowledge or ability of a 40 year old:

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

The last part is what I am really desiring; to know God as well as he knows me. What an incredible thought. To know everything about him and to live in eternity with that knowledge. Childhood is such a short time of our life compared to adulthood. This place is such a short period of our existence compared to eternity. That needs to be our perspective here, that we are being prepared for eternity, for adulthood. So what's a little bit of hardship and pain in comparison to knowing the greatness and glory of our Lord?

The question remains, what does maturity look like in the context of this place, in the context of childhood? It is when we realize what is truly important in life. It is when we let go of the things that hold our progress back and makes us less than what we were created to be. It's when we cut the things out of our life so that the things that are most important are able to grow in us:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  (1 Corinthians 13:13a)

We know we are reaching that maturity when we not only understand but live the truth of life:

But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13b)

The fact is that in those who are progressing toward maturity the truth of love prevails over everything else. If there are things like fits of rage, jealousy, envy, pride, hatred in you then you know you have a lot of spiritual growing up to do. Love overpowers all of these things when we are mature enough to allow it to have full reign in our life. "Love never fails" becomes our reality not our wishful thinking. In the mature faith, hope and love are the basis of everything they do and say but it is love that makes it all possible.

Not everything changes in life. Faith, hope and love should be the permanent and consistent elements of our character. Love should always prevail in every situation. It's time for us to grow up.




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The rest of the series on 1 Corinthians 13

The Single Greatest Lesson That All Other Things Are Built On

There Is Only One Thing That Gives Legitimacy To Who We Are And What We Do

Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind

The Ingredient To A Fulfilling And Long Lasting Relationship

The Power Of Authentic Love

Do You Want To Know What Real Love Is? It Will Cost You

"Love Never Fails." Are You Kidding Me?

It's Time For Us To Grow Up

"Love Never Fails." Are You Kidding Me?

There are three words in the Bible that overwhelm me and yet assure me every time I ponder them. Three words that are incredibly powerful and earth shaking. Three words that cause us to shake our head and mumble "It isn't true". Three words we have misunderstood and refused to come to grips with:

"Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:8)

How do we deal with this? How can we say that love never fails? How many times has your heart been broken? How many times have you been stabbed in the back by a friend? How many times have you failed to be there for someone? How many times have you allowed vengeance and hatred to overwhelm love? Love never fails? I don't think so.

You don't think it to be true? Then let's start with Paul's definition of love. In fact, we will only consider the last part of this definition:

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

When I read that I think about the countless times I have failed to love my family, friends, and even strangers. Just that one, "always protects", or even "always trusts" causes me to see what an utter failure I have been in the love department. But then again that is the problem; love didn't fail, I failed to love.

If we examine our failures I think we will see clearly that in every case we failed to love the person we failed. Say that out loud with me "Love didn't fail, I failed to love". Let it sink in for a moment. All the troubles, hardships, heartaches, division and separation we have experienced in our life is due to the fact that there was a lack of love involved. Perhaps you wish to argue the point. Well consider that love is not these things:

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Corinthians 13:5)

How much of our failure has been caused by self-seeking, even if that means we were seeking to be loved? Love is not a game and it isn't a fuzzy feeling; it is a very serious commitment where we are engaged to pour ourselves out into another person's life. Love is a constant giving, emptying of self but the great thing is that the source of this love is Jesus Christ. The more we give the more he pours back into us. We can't out give God. But understand that love is a conscious decision to speak certain words and take certain actions that flow from this river of love in us.

If you decide to get mad at someone and yell at them, understand you have chosen not to love. If you decide to punish someone by withdrawing your kindness, you have chosen not to love. It you walk away from a friendship out of frustration, you have decided not to love. If you decide to allow differences to build a wall between you and another person, you have chosen not to love. If you decide to shut someone out of your life because of the pain they have caused you, you have chosen not to love.

In all these and many more cases love has not failed, we have. It is when  we decide to apply love to every situation and every person that real power begins to flow. The power of forgiveness and reconciliation is mountain moving stuff. The power to bring healing to a broken heart and to build unity among God's people is incredible. What a beautiful thing love is when we apply it. Love never fails.

Just a foot note: We need to always keep in mind that this is the entire point in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Love is the underlying theme throughout the Word of God. The whole point of Jesus is love, "For God so loved the World that he gave ...". Jesus' final command was for us to love as he loved us. Even Paul launched into his definition of love with these words, "And know I will show you the most excellent way". Love is not optional and we must spend our life discovering the depth of it and applying it to everyone we know and meet.