Love’s Way to Grow Up

1 Corinthians 13:1–13

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes to a church that’s blessed with many spiritual gifts, but is struggling to use them wisely. They’re acting like kids when it comes to love and unity, showing they still have a lot to learn about being true Christians. This part of Paul’s letter is all about the importance of growing spiritually and how to do it.

1. Growing up is a must

One of the key points in 1 Corinthians 13:11 is that we all start off as spiritual babies when we become Christians. No matter what we’ve accomplished in life, we still need to grow spiritually. This isn’t an overnight thing – it takes time, effort, and learning from those who are further along in their faith. It also calls for a lot of respect and humility towards each other in the Christian community.

2. What growing up looks like

When we’re spiritually immature, we tend to get caught up in power and flashy displays, forgetting about the importance of love and relationships. It’s easy to think that having control brings happiness, but the truth is, real joy comes from love – and love takes patience and endurance. If we’re always chasing quick fixes and big moments, it shows we’re still spiritual infants. To truly understand love and be great, we need to grow.

3. The path to maturity

Part of growing up is learning to think beyond our own needs and wants, and instead committing to a life of patient obedience to God. By accepting that we don’t know everything and that God’s wisdom is greater, we free ourselves and learn humility. As we replace our knee-jerk reactions with thoughtful actions guided by the teachings of Jesus, we grow and become more like Christ.