IMMATURITY

 

IMMATURITY AS A BESETTING HINDERING SIN

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

  Is immaturity sinful? Yes, in the sense that sin is traveling off the path that pleases our Lord; sin that thereby hinders our ability to perform the love of the first and second commandments in all relationships. This truth Paul wrote of in 1Corinthians chapter 13, which has spoke to my stumbling self many times, especially verse 11, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.“

  Not being a bank robber or interested in such does not mean I was or am never in violation of essence of THE 10, hindered by past history and later recurrences of adult childishness; immature thinking and actions in an adult body.

 Rapidly approaching 81, my physical body requires rather frequent checkups and prescribed adjustments. In order to maximize optimum corporeal function requires attention and compliance. It is no different with my far more important sacred being. (Not the ultimate goal, but please know that the affectionate purposefulness of healthy sacred being has overarching effect on physical being.) But in the latter case it isn’t in an examination room. It is by the mirror of God’s Word, His Holy Spirit within me, and does include thoughtfully maintaining victorious living using the Bible-based Christ-centered Overcomers In Christ (OIC) program ( http://overcomersinchrist.org/ ), reading books of the same nature (SAFE PEOPLE, by Cloud and Townsend, the most recent completed and awaiting further review.). This morning I share with you a list from OIC material that I personally use periodically and am doing so again this week.

ADULT CHILDREN:

1.       Can only guess at what normal behavior is.

2.       Lie frequently when they could just as easily tell the truth.

3.       Do not know how to develop or maintain healthy relationships.

4.       Overreact when faced with changes they can’t control.

5.       Feel the need to create a crisis when things are peaceful.

6.       Are defensive and quick to lash out in anger.

7.       Have a deep need for approval and affirmation.

8.       Are afraid to be transparent so live behind a façade.

9.       Feel they are weird and different from others.

10.   Are either irresponsible or overly responsible.

11.   Have a fear of abandonment and cling to unhealthy relationships.

12.   Don’t think things through but act on impulse.

13.   Feel threatened by people, especially those in authority.

14.   Overreact to criticism, even if it’s constructive.

15.   Assume that others are angry with them even when they’re not.

16.   Tend to fall into compulsive sinful behaviors and addictions.

17.   Choose other adult children as friends and life partners.

18.   Don’t effectively identify and handle their emotions.

19.   Lack focus and don’t stay on task.

20.   Have no or porous boundaries and find it difficult to say no.

21.   Think of themselves as worthless and unlovable.

22.  Don't consider failures as paving on a path to success.

  Suggestion: When I use the above or other such self-examining lists I do not score pass <> fail. I evaluate using 0-10 method, 10 being my worst, 0 being “Once a serious problem.” All other numbers indicating growth, for some points are was/now not, others are in process as Paul explains in Romans, chapter 7; … for ours is to delight in law of God after the inward man. …

  I end this morning’s thoughts with a memory: The large company that employed me and 10 thousands of others decided to add a psychologist to the medical staff, a young man not far past his internship. Males and females of various work classifications began going to his office. About six months later a complaining number of his patients brought about his discharge. Their grievance was his often succinct prescription “You just need to grow up.”

EBB4