1 CORINTHIANS 13:11

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 the ways of childhood behind me

TO PONDER

When we are children, many of us can't wait to grow up. It seems so exciting. Going to bed whenever you want, no one telling you to eat your veggies, being able to drive and go wherever you want. It all seems so exciting.

When we are adults, many of us wish we could be children again. We look back and realise that when we were children we ;t have to worry about what was for dinner, food just miraculously appeared on the table. We didn't have to pay for fuel, insurance and registration to be able to go wherever we wanted, we just asked mum or dad to take us.

Growing up is a difficult task, as we grow in skill and maturity, our society gives us greater freedom and access to opportunities, but also expects us to take on greater responsibility. Sure you can now drive a car, but you are responsible for the safety of your passengers and other road users.

As children of God, we can sit back and expect God to do everything for us. And he certainly has done a lot, dying on a cross to take upon himself the punishment for our sin is a pretty big deal. however he loves us too much to leave us as children. Like a responsible loving parent, he leaves us things to do so that we can grow and experience more of the life that he has given us in Christ. He doesn't expect us to earn our own salvation, he took care of that completely because he loves us and knew that task was beyond us. but he does want us to leave the ways of spiritual childhood behind us and follow him into a greater experience of his life as he leads us into spiritual maturity and adult hood.

Are there spiritually childish ways that God wants you to put behind you today?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father thank you for calling me and making me your child. Please help me to grow as your child so that I might not always be a spiritual infant, but that I might grow in faith and trust in you and experience even more of the fulness of life you offer through your son Jesus. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle