Putting Away Childish Things

I Corinthians 13:11
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.

I haven’t put away my childish things. I’m not sure that I can even identify most of them. Something being a natural response is sometimes going to be a childish thing because children are untrained humans. As we get older we are supposed to learn to harness and hone those natural responses into healthy grown-up ones.

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I am learning new things about myself all the time. Along with the strengths which I am discovering I have found that I haven’t grown up as well as I would have liked. I’m not interested in playing the blame game or going through the rest of my life saying “oh woe is me” and being a victim – destined to live my life as an uncontrollable roller coaster ride. Jackie always says, “What happens to me may change me but only God defines me” (maybe slightly paraphrased). That is the journey that I am on now. To learn my “God-definition” and allow Him to help me grow up and “put away childish things” “by the renewing of [my] mind.”

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my childish thoughts and behaviors. Please forgive me for not taking responsibility for my actions and staying in my child-like mentality for so many years. I understand now that these behaviors are not becoming of a daughter of yours. I recognize this now and repent of these things. I ask for your strength in my life to make the necessary changes in order to become a safe person and to be obedient to Your will.