Don't Be a Baby
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 25:28; Galatians 5:16-26
A consistent New Testament admonition is “stop being babies!” Well okay, it never says it exactly that way, but that’s the idea. God expects us to grow up, to mature, to become men and women of God. Thankfully, we are not left to do this without His help. As Martin Luther prayed, “Lord, if you leave me to myself, I will ruin everything.”
The Christian has the word of God that is, as Jesus prayed, the truth which sanctifies us (John 17). We have the Providential workings of life to chisel away the rough edges and shape us into Christ’s likeness. We have the church, the fellowship of believers to exhort and encourage us onward and upward. Most of all, and most importantly, we have the indwelling Presence of Christ, the Holy Spirit of God to convict of sin, to illuminate our understanding, to guide our path, and to empower us in holy living.
One way we can describe what maturity looks like is “self-control.” That is one facet of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). The mature Christian is controlled by (filled with) the Spirit, and paradoxically that means they are self-controlled. Thus, the more of our life we give to God, the more of it He gives back to us.
Maturity is, in part, being in control of yourself. Children need constant watching because they are children, they are immature and will lose control, make bad decisions, and hurt themselves or others in the process. So, they have to be controlled. To see my sons’ mature meant they no longer needed my constant input, correction, and oversight. None of that was burdensome than, nor would it be now. But it makes me proud and happy to know that they have enough self-control to be responsible adults, taking care of themselves and their families.
God wants us to grow up. He gives us all the necessary resources and helps to make it happen. And one of the ways we know it is happening is when we can control ourselves. When we can live without constant oversight, correction, and input – when we are making wise decisions, living sacrificially for others, habitually expressing love for God and our neighbor because that is the way we have become wired and not because we are being told to – we have stopped being babies.