Hi Everyone,
Happy chilly Saturday. So today I read a perplexing verse 1 Corinthians 14:20: "Brethren do not be children in your thinking, yet in evil be babes but in your thinking be mature."
What a dichotomy presented. So I sat and considered this and the verse that came was, "do not repay evil with evil." I thought about little children. Something happens to them that is evil and their response is not to consider a vengeful plot or retaliation. They are too young in their minds to conjure this. So I thought, wow, mature thinking in Christ is a recognition that God will judge all things.
Fallen thinking is a "maturity" in the wrong direction; a take-charge to plan; to map the next card to play to ensure the one who inflicted evil pays for it! True maturity is a stand in Christ to remain holy and clean before Him in spite of evil. This to me is not just a ‘sucking up’ but a very deliberate response based on transformation of the mind and intimacy with Christ. For me it is allowing God to come into that ‘teenage place’ (not baby and not that adult) where I think I know it all and allowing Him to sweep in and take full charge and be deeply at peace with it. He says, "judgment is mine," but I can only claim that as my truth if I surrender and relinquish my way and what I think I know, OR WORSE, NEED to make my flesh feel better!
I don’t think I’m going to forget this verse. I hope not! It really underscores where maturity rests and the marker of it in my own life.
Love,
Cari