When I was a child…

“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.”

1 Corinthians 13:11

This is a wonderfully convicting verse, from the great “love” passage found in the Bible. In context, the author is talking about spiritual maturity and how the attributes of love must affect our character and change the way we act and behave towards one another. Love it not just about knowing, it’s about doing. As the band DC Talk said, Luv is Verb. As the author of Corinthians said, without love, you are nothing.

One of the challenges I see today is boys not growing into men. Extended adolescence is an epidemic. Oh, they do physically…they are mature in their BODIES, but not where it counts in their BEHAVIOR. They have not let go of their childish ways. It even has a name…“Peter Pan Syndrome”…kids that don’t want to grow up.

What does childish behavior look like?

• Not taking responsibility
• Blaming others
• Temper tantrums
• Calling names
• Letting others do the work
• Play first, work second…if at all.

We can do better. Your family and your community need better. The world needs better.

• We need your ideas and your enthusiasm
• We need your strength and your energy
• We need your perspective and your grasp on how to leverage new technology
• We also need to you to be patient. Meaningful change takes time. Rome wasn’t built in a day…
• We need you to be respectful as you learn the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before you (and built many of the things you take for granted)
• We need you to grow up and take your place as leaders of the next generation.

Whether you are thinking about the current batch of politicians, radio hosts, TV anchors, or social media influencers, Calvin and Hobbes summed it up perfectly.

Turn the channel. Train your children to identify childish behavior. Support mature thinking. Grow up…we can all do better.