When I became a man (v.11)

“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 give up childish ways.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

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It’s delightful when a toddler is more fascinated by the wrapping paper than with the gift inside it! But it would be worrying if an adult behaved the same way. That’s the temptation for us spiritually. We can remain satisfied with spiritual infancy when our calling is to press on to maturity in Christ (Col.1:28).

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Paul has already told them that they are still children (1 Cor.3:1). He longs for them to realise that they should by now be leaving childish ways behind. Instead of preferring some leaders and some gifts, they should have learned to value every blessing God gives. Instead of tolerating sin as “permissible” they should be grasping more of what it means for their bodies to be temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:12,19).

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The Gospel chapter about the birth of Jesus tells us that as a child he had to grow spiritually as well as physically (Luke 2:52). If that were true for our Lord, we too need to put off childish ways and grow in wisdom and obedience.