Do Christians have to Grow Up?

There's a phrase that goes, "You get old, but you don't have to grow up." I typically hear people say this in a positive light, as if it's a good thing not to grow up. It makes sense that this phrase is well received in our culture obsessed with youth. If you want to make something attractive in this world, you typically have to make it young or young at heart. People don't like the thought of growing up, and this is no exception in the Christian community. Many believers cling to Jesus' words, "Be like children," to promote their desire for youth and even immaturity. So, as believers, do we have to grow up?

Walt Disney once said these words.

First, let's take a look at those famous words from Jesus. In the book of Matthew Jesus "called a little child to Him, and placed the child among [the disciples]. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,"" (18: 2-3). From this it seems straight-forward that Jesus is saying He wants His followers to act like children. Many have looked at those verses and thought, "Tah dah! There's proof-text for embracing your inner child and never growing up!" Not so fast now, because there's more to what Jesus says. He says, "Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me," (Matthew 18:4-5). Jesus is teaching that His disciples must be humble, if they are to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is the same principle Jesus teaches His disciples, when He washes their feet (John 13:14-17). This is to what Jesus was referring, when He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth," (Matthew 5:5).

They say that I can move the mountains

And send them falling to the sea

They say that I can walk on water

If I would follow and believe

With faith like a child

- Jars of Clay

Now, I'm sure some people will say in favor of being childish, "But Jesus still said we have to become like children, so that's still a go-ahead from Jesus to embrace our inner child." Not exactly. When we read those verses from Matthew chapter 18 in our English translated Bibles, we see Jesus used the word "like" when referring to how the disciples should reflect a child's behavior. The English translators chose to use the word "like" to show that Jesus is using a simile: A figure of speech for comparing aspects of things, often noted by the words "like" or "as". Jesus used a simile to address how His disciples should mimic a child's meekness, and not to say they should mimic every aspect of a child. If that were the case, then when God said the simile, "like a woman in childbirth, I cry out," He was saying He was a pregnant woman (Isaiah 42:14). Of course, He's not. Furthermore Paul said he was like "a nursing mother," and Paul was definitely not a mom (1 thessalonians 2:7).

So, if Jesus wasn't actually talking to who His disciples about not growing up, does that automatically mean that Jesus wants His followers to grow up? Well, we shouldn't jump to any conclusions. Just because Jesus doesn't mention something in His teachings, doesn't mean that the rest of the Bible won't as well. This is why we, as believers, have all of God's Word to study as approved workers for His kingdom (2 Timothy 2:15). We need to consult not only the gospels but also all of the Bible, for our questions on how to live a righteous life (2 Timothy 3:16).

If your parents helped you study the Bible as a child, then "continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make
you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus," (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Yes, the Bible does teach that Christians should grow up, but it teaches specifically as to how Christians should grow and mature. Peter taught believers to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 3:18). Paul wrote to encourage believers, "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly-mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready," (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). This is a call from Paul for people to mature about their beliefs in the Spirit and not live by the beliefs of the world; a call for growing in Christ as opposed to what the world thinks is growing up. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me," (1 Corinthians 13:11). In another letter to old and yet immature believers who could not understand beliefs about Jesus Paul wrote the following words from Hebrew chapter 5 verses 11 to 14:

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Yes, Christian. The Bible makes it very clear. If you want to live righteously, you have to grow up. You have to mature in your understanding of God's Word. You have to grow in Christ, by studying your Bible. It is written, the one who studies God's Word "is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers," (Psalm 1:2-3). Oh, and as a reminder, that verse is using a simile. It's not saying you have to be a tree. What you have to do, if you want to live a God pleasing life, is grow up.

There may have been a time when you learned about God from a book like this,
but Christians should graduate from studying what is elementary,
so they can grow in their understanding of God.

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Open Bible Info: Growing Up
• Jars of Clay: Like a Child