Day 78, Year 1 Growing into Adulthood

“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11 NASB)

“Child” mentioned in today’s verse, nepios in Greek, is more often translated as “infant, or little child,” and it also refers to someone who is “innocent, immature, untaught, or childish.” This interpretation of “innocent” resonates with the foolishness mentioned previously. Paul likely believed that people are all simple-minded when they are young. Hence, we need to learn God’s words in order to become wise adults. However, since His laws are overlooked in many places nowadays, this process of growing from a child to an adult might not be natural or even hard for some people. The verse speaks of the three aspects of speech, thinking, and reasoning of a child.

While children have their own speech, adults have a different language. Nonetheless, this experience of having distinct languages is not real for some people, because some families have trained their children to adapt to adults’ language from infancy. They believe children should not be addressed with children’s language. Educating children in this manner might cause them to become fixated on their childhood, mistakenly thinking that a child’s perspective and mindset could still be used to understand the world when they have grown up. Language serves as a tool for comprehending the world. If a person remains confined to a child’s language and framework, they would likely only pursue things that align with their expectations and are prone to neglecting everything they do not comprehend. Consequently, their understanding of the world often deviates significantly from reality, and they may find it difficult to accept many realities. This could lead to stagnation and hindrances of their growth in faith after they believe in Jesus.

“Think” in today’s verse, phroneo in Greek, has three meanings: understanding in general; emotion, feeling, or sensation; and, the direction or interest of one’s mind. When combined with the term “reason” in the verse, it might specifically refer to the reasoning influenced by emotion or mood. Children’s feelings always develop before their rationality. People fixated in childhood are likely to be centered around feelings or certain emotions, such as being controlled by the pursuit of enjoyment, delicacies, or sensational pleasure. One familiar example among Chinese people is that they refuse to drink bitter herbal decoctions during illness because they cannot accept the principle that “a good medicine tastes bitter,” according to a Chinese proverb.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you have the problem of constantly pursuing good feelings or sensations? If so, how would you change by God’s words you have learned?

2) Are you willing to accept the bitter but good medicine, and escape from being controlled by feelings or sensations? How can you resolve it with God’s help if you find it difficult?