Spiritual Maturity 1 Corinthians 14:20: God’s Call to Grow Up in Faith
- meetgodattheedgeof
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
1 Corinthians 14:20
“My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people and be as innocent as tiny babies.”
This verse is often taken out of context, but the Lord has shown me time and time again—He doesn’t care. He will use any word in any way to open someone’s eyes or get a message across. Today, He reminded me of something He’s been working on in me for years: spiritual maturity.
Over the weekend, my wife, son, and I went to a race track for a night of racing. It started at 5 p.m. and went until midnight. I’ve always loved racing. In my younger years, the track was my hangout, and I jumped at the chance to race any car I could get my hands on. None of them were very fast, but the thrill kept me coming back.
But there was also an element at the track that wasn’t so good. The girls dressed in ways that drew attention, and back then, my friends and I loved it. Walking around the cars this weekend, I realized not much had changed—same people, same attitudes, same girls.
Guess who has changed? Me.
Back then, I stared. Now, I fight it. Back then, I acted just like the other guys to fit into the cool crowd. Now, I purposely try to stand out. What I used to call “fun” I now see as childish ways—a lifestyle built on immaturity and fleshly desires. The Lord used that environment to show me just how far He has brought me. Spiritual maturity 1 Corinthians 14:20 is about making those hard choices to glorify God instead of self.
The contrast between who I was then and who I am now couldn’t be clearer. It’s not that I can’t be around these things—it’s that my purpose has shifted. My life’s goal now is to glorify my Heavenly Father, not feed my flesh.
This experience reminded me of another verse:
1 Corinthians 13:11
“When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways.”
That’s what spiritual maturity looks like—learning to throw off the childish thoughts and behaviors that once ruled us. For me, it was the track scene. For you, it might be something entirely different. The question is: Where is it hard for you to let go of childish ways? What might be keeping you from advancing in Christlike maturity?
We all have something the enemy uses to try to hold us back. He’ll take any opportunity to make us stumble. But the best part is this: our Father understands. When we make the commitment to change, He is there to strengthen us, forgive us, and shape us into the warriors He designed us to be.
Thank You, Father, for another day to grow in You.
