Friday 02/11/12

1 Corinthians 13:11 ESV

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.

Here Paul describes the process of maturity. From a child lacking manner (childish in word), lacking knowledge (childish in thought), or lacking wisdom (childish in reason), we gradually and mature. As we learn manner, knowledge and wisdom, we give up our childish selves and become adult.

We do not born with a disposition to love. Human are born with sinful nature, selfish, impulsive, ... Human sinful nature is the completely opposite of love. It can be said as follow:

Human nature is impulsive. It is selfish. Human nature is envious and boastful. It is arrogant and rude.

Human nature is irritable and resentful. It does not rejoice in the truth, but rejoice in wrong doing.

Human nature cannot bear much, easily lose hope, and easily quit.

So we need to grow and mature in love. That's the way and the glory of God, in which we are called to follow as those who are created in His image and His children.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.