“Katargeo”

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Observation:

It is tragic when the world takes a chapter like this (I Cor 13) and divorces it from its true Christian meaning. The unsaved man can no more experience this kind of love than can a marble statue! It takes the indwelling of the Spirit of God in the life, and the empowering of that Spirit, for anyone to display this kind of character in daily life.

Keep in mind that Paul is still dealing with the question of spiritual gifts. Here he is emphasizing the fact that gifts without graces are nothing. The fruit of the Spirit (Galtatians 5:22-23) is more important in the Christian life than the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. Whenever the church strives for miraculous experiences rather than Christian holiness and character, there will be division, confusion, and carnality.

The Holy Spirit strives to bring into our lives both purity and power. They both come when we put away, or abolish the childish tendencies that our flesh wants to manifest daily.

Application:

Paul said, "when I became a man I put childish ways behind me." He stopped talking like a child, reasoning like a child, and thinking like a child. How did he do this? He "put behind" him the childish way of living.

Today we ask ourselves "how do I deal with those pushes from our past which tend to influence and control our present attitudes and reactions?"

We must find how and where they began. Author Selwyn Hughes says that they come especially from our formative years of childhood. There we were subjected to influences, ideas, and experiences that helped to shape our expectations and attitudes to life. Many of these influences, ideas, and experiences were good, BUT by the same token, many were bad. These negative things sometimes stay inside us and can become dictating forces in our lives. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to track down some of these hidden agendas and we then need to deal with them in a mature and adult manner.

How do we do this? Look again at today's verse:
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

The Greek word for "put behind me" is katargeo. It is an extremely strong word, meaning "to put away, to break a hold, finish it off, have done with, render inoperative."

Childhood agenda's don't just fall away like the leaves fall off the trees in the Fall, we have to "put them behind us", we have to katargeo them, and be finished with childish things.

If the Holy Spirit has identified any hidden agenda's in your life, then bring them to Him now adn lay them at His feet. Decide to be done with them and ask God to make them "inoperative" in your life.

Why not ask the Holy Spirit right now to show you area's that you have struggled with for sometime, and then ask His help to rid yourself of them. Remember, with God all things are possible and you CAN do all things through Jesus Christ who strenthens you!

Prayer:

"Lord, please give me the victory over all the enemies that may be wihin me. Katargeo them, make them inoperative in my life today, in Jesus' name, amen!"