60 Seconds – Childishness

One of the witnesses in a lawsuit was trying to appear much younger than she actually was. She was hopelessly overdressed, her hair color and makeup was embellished, and she was bedecked with jewels – all in a vain effort to conceal her real age. When she appeared on the stand, she was asked how old she was. Calmly, she replied, “Twenty- six.”

“Twenty-six!” the judge exclaimed in astonishment. “When were you born?” “1920,” was her answer. “Well,” said the kindly judge, “let the record show that she was founded in 1920, and restored in 1966.”

Turning to the jury, the judge added, “If we would spend as much time growing up inside, as we do trying to keep youthful on the outside, we would be better off.”

In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul wrote, “When I became an adult, I put away childish things.” The word that the Apostle Paul used for “childish,” nepios, is seldom used in Scripture. In each case, it suggests an adult who displays the irresponsible characteristics of a child, and an adult whose development has been arrested. “Things,” is much better translated “ways.”

Ralph Earle stated, “Many ‘adults’ (chronologically, not psychologically) have put away their things of childhood–dolls and toys–but they have never given up their childish ways of reacting to life. They still throw a fit when they can’t have their own way.”

While browsing through some birthday cards in a gift shop, a lady found one that made her laugh. Its message read, “You are only young once, but you can be immature forever.”

In 2 Peter 3:18, we are told, “But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Johann von Goethe stated, “Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.”

The Laplanders (a race of small people), and the Patagonians (a race of large people) are in climates equally cold. What makes the difference in their size?

The Laplanders, supported by their reindeer, spend most of their time in indolence. The Patagonians are an active race, and spend much of their time in fishing and hunting. Studies believe that this has resulted in the stunted development of the one, and the large dimensions of the other.

Can it be that we are often hindered in our spiritual maturity because we fail to “exercise ourselves toward godliness” (1Timothy 4:7)