I saw this statement on a media site that said, “I cannot act my age, I’ve never been this age before.” I’m sure we have heard or maybe we have been told at some point in our early years that “we should act our age” or asked the question,”Why don’t you act your age?” There is a certain behavior that is associated with age. A baby is expected to drink milk at the beginning. Then he or she advances to solid food. They start to crawl and then they learn to walk. If the child did not advance to this expectation, the parents would be worried. As age advances, more expectations of a certain responsible behavior come with advancing age.
These expectations also come in the realm of spiritual growth. We all start out as new born babes in Christ via the new birth. We are also new born babes in our knowledge of the word of God. The fact that we desire the word is evidence that we are new born. Peter writes, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (I Peter 2:1-3). Proper growth expectation then could only come by laying aside all the worldly things mentioned by Peter.
There are certain character traits we are to maintain that are outside that normally associated with age. Children are expected to do one thing and adults are expected to do another thing. Paul writes in I Cor. 14:20: “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” Paul gives a tremendous contrast between children and adults in malice and understanding. Children aren’t expected to understand as much as adults so adults are not to act like children in their understanding of the milk of the word. Conversely, they should act outside their age (as a child) with regard to malice. Children usually do not harbor grudges but quickly forget and go back to a normal association with their mates. Adults sometimes are prone to go the other direction. Here we are instructed both to act our age and not act our age and both have positive results.
How much have we grown as a member of the church? Do we act our age in the church in our spiritual growth and understanding? Have we progressed as our age in the church has increased? Just as a baby starts out on milk and advances to meat so does (or should) the child of God in their Christian walk with God. Paul writes of some people that needed to be taught again the basics. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14). Here were some who were not acting their age in the service of God.
The house will never be built or finished if the foundation is the only thing that is laid. Something is to be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul follows up his thought on milk and meat in the following sixth chapter of Hebrews. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,” The goal is to go on unto perfection; not forsaking the principles but using them to go forward toward growth and maturity.
Maybe we can act our age in service to God and influence others in our family and with whom we associate or come in contact with. Fathers and mothers have an influence on their children as well as do grandparents. The children of Israel were commanded to take twelve stones from the midst of Jordan and place them on the other side where they were lodged. What was the purpose of these stones. “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?” The fathers could explain that this was a memorial of the miraculous cutting off of the waters of Jordan so the children of Israel could pass through to Canaan’s land.
Children are an heritage of the Lord and grandchildren are the crown of old men according to the Bible. Solomon writes: “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” (Prov. 17:6). Here we see a spectrum of age and the blessing that accompany each. Just because we naturally advance in age doesn’t mean we cannot bear fruit to the glory of God. David tells us, “Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;” (Psalm 92:13-14).
So are we acting our age? Does our conduct reflect our spiritual age as well as our natural age? We have no control over our natural age except through proper diet, exercise and honoring our father and mother. We have more control over our age in spiritual maturity in the house of God. Probing questions but worthy of our meditation.–January 20, 2014–Elder Larry Wise
