Wednesday; November 15

What happens when we think we are smarter than everyone else? Interestingly, too often, when we think we are more mature than others, we can be tempted to act more childish. When many people begin to feel like they are more intelligent or they have things figured out, they begin to act in ways that are often viewed as being childish. They make fun of others whom they don’t feel are as superior as them. They demand that people treat them differently (and throw tantrums when they don’t). They expect others to defer to them. Intellectualism isn’t always the same as maturity.

One of the most mature things any of us can do is to seek unity among the different people or diverse groups around us. It takes much more wisdom to bring people together than it does to demand our own way – whether we are correct or not.

Most of us would agree that love is one of the most mature emotions we can develop. If that is true, notice how love is defined in the New Testament, “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (I Corinthians 13:4-7). Let’s be mature enough to love one another the way we all want to be loved.

Think About It!

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