“When I
was a child I used to speak as a child”
I Corinthians 13:11
If Jesus is the key to a child’s faith (He
is!), then the application of the unconditional love principles in this
pivotal chapter are essential to a child’s spiritual development.
Therefore we will look at I Corinthians 13, as it relates to the
relationships God intends for you and your children.
Paul began the Corinthian passage with a
lengthy definition of love, but brilliantly ended it with a child analogy
(I Corinthians 13:11) that charged all of God’s Corinthian parents to
diligently work on their relationships with others, including their own
children. In this analogy there was nothing wrong with acting one’s age
that was acceptable maturity. But Paul did not want his parents to act
relationally like kindergartners in life if indeed they were spiritual
seniors. Now to set the record straight, there is nothing wrong with being
a kindergartner; it is a beautiful age. It is a time to learn how to
relate to others outside of the family, a time to learn how to share, line
up, make friends, listen, and obey authority outside the home. There is
nothing wrong with being a senior in high school either; it is the last year
of mandated education, a year dedicated to the dynamic display of a goal
achieved.
In Paul’s final child analogy (“When I was a
child, I used to speak as a child”) his purpose is to inspire his fellow
believers to guard the words they would daily display before others. To
speak as a child was not a compliment in this passage; it was an admonition
to evaluate, assess, and change the words spoken. Young children who are
immature will often speak without thinking. Their thoughtless words,
inappropriate teasing, and ill spoken criticisms can deeply hurt fellow
classmates. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never
hurt me” is an old adage that has never been true. Spiritually mature
parents understand the impact of words upon others, especially their own
children.
Teachable Moments
An astonishing section of the Northwest this
summer is ablaze with forest fires. I was just reading about a particular
fire here in Idaho that may ravage an entire town. In your teachable
moment read articles from the newspaper that describe the local fires. Ask
your children to express what they know about fires, especially in relation
to the destruction of homes, forests, ECT. Why are fires so devastating?
Why do they move so quickly? What suggestions do they have to prevent
fires from starting in your home? The point in this lesson is to raise
their awareness of the power and speed of a fire. Then read James 3 to
them, and focus on the analogy of the tongue being a fire (James 3:5-6).
The lesson is two fold: 1. if they say something that is hurtful, explain
how hard it is to take back those words. The effect of words can rage like
a fire out of control. The friend they hurt with a fire of words, needs an
awful lot kindness (water) to put out the flame. 2. Encourage them to
set other kinds of good verbal fires to help those who have been hurt. The
forestry service from time to time will set what they call “back fires.”
They deliberately set fires to get rid of flammable brush that could go out
of control if hit by lightening. Tell your children to set back fires of
encouraging words in those who might be hurt by others. Tell them to build
such a “back fire” of encouraging words that no matter what anyone else
says, they will be unhurt.
Word of God
I Corinthians 13:1-13
1
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I
have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of
prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I
give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be
burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is
patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not
arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not
provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in
unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if
there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues,
they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know
in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial
will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child,
think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away
with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to
face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have
been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the
greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a
child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did
away with childish things.
James 3: 5 See how great a forest is set aflame by such a
small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the
tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and
sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Ephesians 4: 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but
only such a word as is good for edification according to the need
of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
