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 Immaturity
is one of the “five deadly factors” which the presiding
judge of a California Domestic Relations Court has listed as
most likely to destroy teenage marriages. The writer of a Reader’s
Digest article (Nov. ‘68) which quotes the judge, defines
immaturity as “self centeredness, inability to compromise, to
rise above hurt feelings, to postpone immediate pleasures in
favor of future benefits, or to do unpleasant chores when they
need to be done, etc.”
Immaturity
ranks high as a “deadly actor” in spiritual divorce too, as
experience clearly shows. The “spats” of brethren are often
practically identical with those of a bunch of “kids” —
calling names at one another over the back yard fence. And when
the mud is exhausted they run home to dad — the devil.
(Jn. 8:44)
Re-read
the characteristics of immaturity. all closely related to self -
centeredness: “inability to compromise.” Raise an eyebrow?
Well simmer down child, and let it be said that marriages do not
work well on the compromise of principle either. But all
“together” work demands the ability to “give in” to
one-another — “submitting” Paul calls
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it. (Eph. 5:21) If you haven’t
learned that, you will not remain married to Christ for long.
Have
your feelings been hurt? They have if you have feelings — and
don’t expect sympathy from a preacher. But you are
self-centered indeed if you think others are not having to
control the feeling you have hurt. They may even now be
biting their tongue to keep from telling you off about your
childishness. (Ouch!)
So
you'll just quit— just like a kid. It is not uncommon to hear
of brethren Ieaving a sound church and supporting by presence
and means a church they acknowledge to he in error, because
so-and-so is a hypocrite. Somehow it never dawns on them that
their own action is hypocritical.
Marriage,
to Christ or to one-another — in the home or in the church, is
a sixty-sixty proposition. Learn— to live in that
over-lap is the key to success as a Christian — and that
demands maturity. (Eph. 4:12-16)
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