It’s easier to grow old than it is to grow up.
You don’t have to do anything to grow old; you need only let it happen, and one day, you’ll notice that you’ve lost your hair and your teeth are next! You become set in your ways. Your ability to adapt to change doesn’t come as easily as it once did. You respond to unpredictable situations with grumpiness instead of gratitude. Most of all, you didn’t have to do anything to get to this stage.
Some of you might also say that you don’t have to do anything to grow up, either. Cells multiply, puberty sets in, and in no time, you’re an adult, primed and ready for losing hair and teeth. But growing up isn’t just about cell multiplication and puberty; some fully-developed adults still live at home. Others may have left home, but their life choices give the impression that their childhood followed them out the front door all those years ago.
Straight up: many of us are overgrown kids. In fact, I’m going to let you in on a scandalous secret:
The secret to growing up is remaining an overgrown kid.
Consider the words of Jesus to His disciples: “And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.””
Think about it; if true growth hinges on your ability to remain flexible, imaginative, and enthusiastic about change, maturity then requires you to remain childlike. The misery that comes from getting laid off gives way to the joy that comes from launching a new career. The hassle of relocating to a different city gives way to the thrill of starting a new adventure. In short, the young-at-heart can thrive in many situations that the old-and-stubborn cannot.
A childlike perspective empowers a person of any age to embrace the unpredictability of life instead of despising it.
When it comes to spiritual growth, the ability to think and function as a child proves invaluable. In addition to the previous point made regarding the adaptability and flexibility of one who remains young at heart, spirituality adds something new and even disturbing to the mix.
Spiritual growth reveals all of your buried ugliness. Think of it as a road that leads toward milestones like chaos and heartache. All that you hold precious in this world gets left behind on the wayside. You should never hope to derive pleasure from this journey, nor should you ever expect it to come to an end.
And yet, with each agonizing step, you become convinced that in order for this trip to satisfy, you’ll need to stop trying to go somewhere and instead, start being led.
Q: What does a kid need in order to become a true grown-up?
A: The guidance of another grown-up.
In this case, the grown-up is God. When it comes to issues of faith, staying a kid at heart matters. In order to be lead-able, you must sustain a dependent attitude. If you don’t believe that you need God to lead you through life, you’ll walk whatever road seems right to you. You’ll talk yourself into following your own heart.
As an authority on the subject, I’m here to tell you that’s a tragic idea. I spent most of my life following my heart and the smouldering wrecks left on the side of the road during that journey exist as an explanation of why we need a guide on the road of life.
1. Growing up requires you to remain a child at heart.
2. Growing up requires a grown-up to get you there.
These two truths will unlock the secret of how you find joy in your own spiritual growth.