Time to Grow: Putting Away Childish Things
Time to Grow: Putting Away Childish Things
Scripture Focus:
“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 (ESV)
Opening Thought
We hear the phrase all the time: “Put away childish things.”
It sounds like something your dad might say when you’re goofing off, or a coach might yell during practice. But when Paul says it in Scripture, he’s not talking about cartoons or video games—he’s talking about something deeper, something spiritual, something that separates boys from men in the Kingdom of God
1. Childish Things Aren’t About Age—They’re About Attitude
Paul’s not preaching against toys.
He’s talking about how we speak, think, and reason when we’re immature.
Childish patterns look like:
Reacting without thinking: “I feel it, so I say it.”
Living short-sighted: “If it feels good now, I’ll do it.”
Centering yourself: “Life is about me—my needs, my wants, my comfort.”
Putting away childish things means choosing maturity—even when the world stays stuck in spiritual immaturity. It’s the beginning of Kingdom manhood.
2. Maturity Means Learning to Love Like Jesus
Don’t forget—this verse comes from 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter.
Childish love is conditional.
Immature love is self-centered.
But Christlike love is sacrificial—and it takes guts.
Real love:
Bears all things—even when you’re exhausted
Keeps no record of wrongs—even when you’ve been hurt
Rejoices in truth—even when lies would be easier
If your strength doesn’t know how to love, it’s just ego in a better costume.
3. Growing Up Doesn’t Mean Growing Cold
Some men think “maturity” means shutting down emotionally—being numb, silent, unshakable. But let’s be clear:
That’s not maturity. That’s fear in armor.
Jesus—the most mature man to ever live—wept (John 11:35).
He prayed with passion. He felt deeply. He rejoiced. He grieved.
Mature men don’t repress their emotions. They master them:
They grieve with hope
They confess with humility
They love with strength
You don’t become a man by becoming numb. You become a man by becoming like Jesus.
4. The Model for Maturity Is Jesus Himself
“…until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
—Ephesians 4:13
Spiritual maturity means becoming like Christ in every way:
Thinking like Christ (Philippians 2:5)
Enduring like Christ (Hebrews 12:2–3)
Loving like Christ (John 13:34)
Putting away childish things doesn’t mean leaving joy behind.
It means walking away from anything that keeps you small, selfish, or shallow in your faith.
Bonus Thought: The Fish Never Stops Swimming
Here’s a picture that surfaced while I was teaching this:
Sanctification is like being a fish.
If a fish stops swimming, it dies. It drowns in what was meant to sustain it.
So it is with us.
We’re meant to grow—not just once, but for life.
We don’t graduate from grace. We don’t retire from the Way.
We press on in love, like fish in the ancient school of believers—the original Jesus-followers who drew fish in the sand as a sign of underground hope.
It wasn’t just a symbol. It was a subconscious sermon:
“Keep swimming. Keep growing. Keep seeking the Way.”
Reflection Questions
What are some “childish” patterns of speech, thought, or reaction that God is asking you to surrender?
Are there areas where you hide behind immaturity to avoid responsibility or vulnerability?
What would spiritual maturity look like this week—in how you speak, think, and love?
Challenge This Week
Pick one area where immaturity still lingers—your mouth, your mood, your laziness, your pride.
Name it.
Confess it.
Replace it.
Tell a brother in Christ. Ask for accountability. Don’t try to grow alone.
Manhood in the Kingdom isn’t measured by muscle or age.
It’s measured by maturity in Christ.
By Pastor Robert S. Clark | GonzoBibleStudy.com