“Do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.” 1Cor. 14:20
Although God desires childlike faith, as the Master Pediatric Cardiologist, God performs intricate surgery to mature our childish hearts. And typically, God’s “surgeries” are the tribulations and sufferings in our lives, allowed and intended by Him to bring us to Christ-like maturity.
When we are “in the cooker”, God exhorts us to mature up!
Paul leads us by example and reasons with us this fact: When he was a child, he talked, thought, and reasoned like a child. But when he matured, he put childish ways behind him. (1Cor. 13:11)
Paul did not simply ask God for forgiveness for particular sins, but he actively and repeatedly put away, renounced, and casted off his childish ways AMIDST the trials.
And God exhorts us to do the same: “Rid yourselves of every form of malice and slander, all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, filthy language, all deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and all moral filth.” (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; Jms. 1:21; 1Pet. 2:1)
The question is: How are we doing with the ridding?
- Do we want the blessings of God, but keep a “safety-net of our comfortable pet sins” just in case we change our minds when it gets tough?
- Or are we wholeheartedly consenting to go under the refining and transforming knife of the Master Pediatric Cardiologist?
God promises SUCH incredible blessing and reward for option 2. ~We Cleary’s have signed up for this one. Please join us! He’s coming soon.
Much love,
Shaun and Betsy
