I Corinthians 16.13-14
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
The central message of the passage is: “Act like men.” It applies to men and women, so we could also translate it, “Act like a mature adult.” The message has several implications.
First, don’t be immature. Don’t act like a child. A child has to be repeatedly told … do your homework, clean up your room, make sure you eat right, it’s time to get up, finish your chores, etc. An adult takes responsibility. You don’t have to tell an adult to do his job. Be responsible and do what needs to be done. Do your job. Without being told! That is what an adult does.
Growth toward maturity is fundamental to the Christian life. Throughout scripture we are encouraged to grow and be mature:
- “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Corinthians 14.20)
- “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)
- “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2.22)
Second, act like a real adult. Not a fake adult. Not a superficial or counterfeit adult. Not a mature man or woman by the world’s standards, but by God’s standards. The mature man or woman that God designed you to be. Our world is full of fake people who talk and brag and try to impress with their bravado. People who think it is about appearance and ego and swagger. But that is not what it means to act like an adult. Do not let popular culture define for you what it means to be a real man or real woman. Do not fall for a distorted picture of who God calls you to be.
Third, acting like a mature adult is something you must learn. We were born children, and we must learn how to be a man or woman. We must learn how to act like an adult in response to all the important areas of life. In response to your walk with God, act like a mature adult. In response to marriage, act like a mature adult. In response to being a father or mother, in response to work, in response to your friends, in response to everything you do, act like a mature adult.
“Most of us suffer from lingering immaturities. Even in the grown adult the little child is still hiding somewhere.” (John Stott)
More tomorrow …
