Childish or Childlike

So you know why the narcissist doesn’t realize he is a narcissist?

Because he is a narcissist!

It is the same way with immaturity.

The more that the person acts infantile, the less they appear to realize their behavior.

Sadly, it is the same with faith;

Are you spiritually childish or childlike?

 

Do you even know the difference.

Would you acknowledge it in yourself, or recognize it in others?

 

Well, we need to.

 

   ☆ Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

  • 1 Corinthians 14:20

 

Too many Christians accept Christ, believe He exists, and go to church.

But that is where it ends.

They stay new believers. 

They stay in that 1st love as long as they can, then go stale and routine.

I know…I did that.

 

I was at a church that was always in the ‘New Seekers’ mode.

Full of wonderful people, beautiful hearts, but it was always a topical message for those reaching out, trying to find, or who had recently found God.

 

Then they suggested we have small groups.

So, us new Christians fellowshipped with the other new Christians, and the group leaders who, like us, only heard those same seeker messages all got together.

 

Don’t get me wrong, it was great. So many people from that church are still great friends.

But we never grew up in the Word there.

And I never even knew that I should even wonder if I was spiritually childish or childlike.

 

 ☆ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.

 

– The surrender was not addressed

– The repentance was not addressed

– The selfishness was not addressed

– The esteeming others was not addressed.

– The sacrifices for marriages, parenting, and others was not addressed.

 

I had a faith, but it was a raw, unrefined, immature faith.

It was not a focused faith that matured.

 

I was never taught it, so I did not have any understanding of the real why behind the first why of the reason for any Christians faith.

I was just repeating what I saw, even though sometimes it didn’t make sense.

 

   ☆ Likewise urge the young men to be sensible

   • Titus 2:6

 

But then something happened.

I needed outside counsel for a different issue, and that man used the Bible to explain the solution.

When he opened his Bible with me for the first time,

He opened my eyes to the real Spirit of God for the first time.

 

I was transformed!

 

I heard the Word in a new way.

I realized the real reason for my faith.

I was nourished so well, but then found myself starving for more.

 

Over the next few years, I studied with great teachers of the Word.

Men who knew the story, the contents and all the context of the Word.

 

I was so fervent, grew so far, went so fast and I loved every minute of it.

 

It was the first time I ever wondered if I was spiritually childish or childlike.

 

 – I was amazed.

 – I had such a huge desire to be

    ~ Surrendered TO God

    ~ Dependent ON God &

    ~ Resting IN Gods.

 

I knew I had a new relationship with my Father in Heaven.

I wanted nothing more than to go to Him, and be with Him.

 

   ☆ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

   • Matthew 19:14

 

 

Now I know who I am, because I know who HE is!

 

I am HIS child.

His ADULT child.

 

I have learned enough to become more mature in my faith.

The more mature in the scripture, and faith that I get,

the more awe and wonder of God that I feel.

That creates in me such enthusiasm, that it makes me feel just like a little child…at the feet of Jesus!

 

I am childLIKE, but not childISH in my faith today.

I am grateful for that.

 

Thank you Lord for keeping me close and allowing me to know you.

 

   ☆ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

So, are you spiritually childish or childlike?

 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!