Growing Up From Flower Girl to Bride

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. 1 Corinthians 13:11

Many of us became Christians for childish reasons. We just wanted to go to heaven. That is okay. Jesus tells us to come as children, but He does not tell us to stay like children. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we [henceforth] be no more children…” Ephesians 4:13-14

In 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, the love chapter, Paul tells us that, regarding love, he used to think like a child. Children obey when there is a reward involved. But as Paul grew and became a man, he put those childish motivations away, and his love developed into a mature, agape love. Immature Christians may offer their body to be burned or martyred for the reward involved, but a mature agape Christian will do it purely out of love. A mature agape Christian loves and obeys because Christ first loved us.

“It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour’s matchless love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary’s cross, and the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow Him.” (Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 480)

In the church today, some people will say they are not worried about a certain standard because it is not a “salvation issue.” That may be so, but wouldn’t we be selfish and un-Christian to concern ourselves only with things that relate to our own personal salvation? What about concerning ourselves with glorifying God, rather than just our own salvation?

In Exodus 32:1-10, the children of Israel worship a golden calf, and God threatens to wipe them out and to raise up a people named after Moses. However, Moses intercedes and tells God if He does this, it will give Him a bad name. “Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?’” Exodus 32:12 Moses even goes so far as to say, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin – and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” Exodus 32:32 Moses is more interested in honoring God’s reputation than he is in his own salvation! Moses has grown up from “salvation issues” to “glorifying God issues.”

Revelation 15:2-4 speaks of an entire multitude in the last days who “sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Many songs are about stories or experiences. What experience do Moses and the Lamb have in common? Like Moses, Jesus the Lamb was willing to say goodbye to life forever if that’s what it took to honor the Father. “The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb.” (Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 753) In Revelation 15 an entire multitude have matured from thinking only of their own personal salvation issues, to glorifying God issues. Glorifying God is more important to them than their own salvation.

A flower girl comes to a wedding all prepared and ready. She is prepared and ready for the cake and punch that comes after the service. The bride has made herself ready, not for the cake and punch, but for the groom.

We may come to Jesus like a flower girl all excited about the cake and punch, golden streets and mansions, but let’s grow up into a bride who cares about the Groom. We love Jesus not for the cake and punch, golden streets and mansion. We love Him because He first loved us.

18 comment(s) for this post:

Andrew Mohanu:
30 Oct 2012 Thank you William for writing this. I enjoy reading your posts. I have found myself transitioning to becoming a more mature and selfless Christian after i have received an answer to my prayers and seeing God work in my life.
LJ:
30 Oct 2012 I love the comparison you used about reward vs. wanting to do God's will. And I really did not understand that passage about Moses til now... how much he was willing to sacrifice. Thanks for an inspired meditation!
Ray Edwards:
30 Oct 2012 Matthew 19 is an interesting chapter in light of your article. We have in 13-15 The Little Children and Jesus 13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. .. and then further down Peter asks a "childish" question: 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. It's interesting that Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking such a question but actually answers him about the "cake and punch." :)
William Earnhardt:
30 Oct 2012 Thank you all for participating in our discussion. Thank you Ray for including the story of the rich youn ruler. When Jesus told him to follow me, He was telling him he wanted a relationship with him, and not just for him to do some "good thing." The ruler goes away because he did not want a relationship with God. He only wanted to do a good deed to get to live forever. Then, as you quoted, Peter turns around and basically says the same thing the ruler said. Peter's question probably grieved Jesus even more. After walking with the Son of God for 3 years, what more could you want? I am so glad Jesus takes us where we are!
CHAFES Ministries:
31 Oct 2012 Prayer Request: In January I will be 50, and no body realy cares abuot my age but me. All my life I have wondered if I would marry, not just for the cake and puch but, for the sack of Christian family fellowship and belonging. What happen to family, no body realy cares any more, love is not uncondition, out side the love of God. While there will not be marrage or the giving of marrage in Heaven we are not in Heaven yet and we must live on the dependents of God and human fellowship will we are done here. Ms. CeCe is right, there was a time when life was easyer, you did or you did not, you could or you could not, but without the fellowship of family the morals of life seem to be in vain. Though it does not pay to live in the past, it is history or our past that set the stage for future living, and the roots living can only be find belonging to some one or something. When did being humen mean that people who wont to be married are being self centered, if needing to be long is human. Thank God for the family of God, in it we call each other brother and sister, while we long be whole Christians and whole persons rightly divided in the word of God, by faith hoping to make it to Heavenly. Lord all I ever wanted was to keep my family connection so that I could grew up an marry, and give back to my family, my church,and my community what they gave to me. May be some things are not made to be, but if I never marry I hope I make it to Heaven the place that marrage is not needed, for I wish I did not have to be single down here, for there just does not seem to be a need for family down here on Earth any more. How sad, and how I wish the Lord would answer my prayer. Amen!
Don Emanuel:
31 Oct 2012 Thank you so much for your post.May God continue to bless you in ministry.
William Earnhardt:
31 Oct 2012 Chafes, we are all praying for you and you do have a family of God who are real and care about you from all over the world. Thank you for being a part of our family. I know God will meet all your needs.