Two-minute read.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
1 Corinthians 13:11
Letting go.
Growing up means letting go. We must release the childish ways to become mature. No more tantrums of uncontrollable emotions; we must learn to take the reins on our feelings, not letting them control us.
In my book, “Three Word Prayers for Everyday Living,”[1] I talked about my prayer strategy to help me put away childish ways. Dealing with anger issues that caused my husband not to want to marry me, I turned to God for help. “Grace, not Anger,” became my coping mechanism for the powerful emotion, also known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
“Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented type of psychotherapy (talk therapy).
Mental health professionals, including psychologists, therapists, and counselors, use it to treat or manage mental health conditions and emotional concerns. It’s one of the most common and best-studied forms of psychotherapy.”[2]
As a child, anger became an ingrained response to adversity. When an unexpected event disrupted my day, anger rose its ugly head. Only when my husband pointed it out during our dating years did I realize the toll of my emotions on relationships. But life changed once I invited God into the situation and applied constant prayer to my dilemma. Every time I felt anger taking control, I used prayer to retrain my mind and control my emotions.
Over a decade later, anger no longer controls me. Writing “Three Words,” therapy, and constant prayer have helped me mature into a new creation in Christ. I still feel strong emotions, but I’ve learned to take control of them through prayer.
We must put our childish ways behind us to become more like Christ. No more outbursts or childish actions. Instead of reasoning like a child, we must grow in our thinking, becoming more discerning and analytical.
Most of all, we must accept that the world doesn’t revolve around us, and not everything will go our way. When we do, we open the door to maturity, leaving behind our childish ways.
Ask God to help you identify areas of childishness in your life. Find ways to help you overcome childish responses and become more mature in Christ. All things become possible with God, even letting go of childish ways.
Love Challenge:
Take control of your reactions today. Find a scripture, develop a prayer strategy, and let go of childish ways by taking captive your thoughts and controlling your emotions.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Three-Word-Prayers-Everyday-Living/dp/B09KF44SQY
[2] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21208-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt
