Growing Out Of It

Human character is not constant because the traits of qualities that constitute it are unstable. These come and go, burn low or glow with great intensity throughout our lives. 
---The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer

We say all the time about children that "they will grow out of it." Some phase or another will be left behind---the Terrible Twos, Troublesome Threes, Fearsome Fours. They'll grow out of it. 
We change so quickly, even as adults. Anyone I have asked will say that what they thought or did three or four years earlier they now look back at and cringe as they realize the stupidity of the thoughts or actions. Change is a way of life.

How much better it is to know that God, in His perfection, never changes or alters. He is so perfect in His love, grace, mercy, joy and everything else you might list that He never need change. What a fascinating thought. 

It is not without being "raised" that children understand that the actions and mannerisms they act out are inappropriate, unkind, sinful behaviors. It is an apparent sociological issue that many children today are not taught right or wrong, seemingly leading to an increase in other sociological issues. 

Is it any surprise then that we face trials in life, trials to remove the harshness of our being? The most incredible people I have met, who seem as near to perfection as one might be here on earth, are those who are elderly and have been Christians for 60+ years. I have indeed met people younger who also had a great presence about them, ---but the ones with the longest walks are truly blessings to know, and have great wisdom to impart. 

We are given a great gift of salvation. With that gift we can face trials and persecution with the strength of God, simply by asking. However, we will face many trials in life. I cannot say that I exactly understand trials...my current opinion honestly is that the world is so sinful that the sin is rotting the world about us. We can't help but face trials from all of the exudate coming from the wounds of the world. Another is if we make the choice to actively sin, finding "loopholes" in Scripture that do not exist, or out-and-out refusing to obey.
 
Yet the facing of trials, however they come about, shapes us just as much as the raising of children. We can utilize the trial by leaning on God, obeying God, learning more about Him, working to honor and glorify Him and have "life" through the trial...or, like some children, we can bash our heads into the floor because we are being set in time out for sticking our fingers in the light socket.  We can chose life with God, or we can chose a death-life with sin. We can grow from infants in Christ to maturity in Heaven with Christ...or we can stay sinful infant godlets forever.