The Growing of the mind Part 3

It is the scriptures that point us in the right direction as to the place of the mind in growing up.

When I was a child, I spoke 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

In order to become a 'man', one has to PUT AWAY childish things. 

The way we reason things is referred to in the above scripture as how we understand things.

Children cannot be said to be petty for instance; they are expected to be by reason of their immaturity of mind and its attendant reasoning processes.

The word 'petty' is therefore used in connection with adults.

Pettiness refers to certain characteristic behavioural patterns commonly found in adults who perhaps were spoiled in childhood, used to getting what they want by virtue of family affluence or being an only child or simply doted on by parents who conceived rather late in life.

But these are not by any means the only instances of pettiness. 

Petty or childish adults are prone to seeking revenge for a perceived wrong, they tend to harbour unforgiveness and malice. 

Many such people are snubs who look down on others because of their lowly estate in life.

While not meaning to paint a psychological portrait of people generally, it should probably become clear by now that perhaps many of the people you know and relate with personally fall into one or more of the above mentioned categories. 

There are yet others who being full of self or self importance cannot stay passive in a collective discussion for long, but must continually interject and make themselves heard above all others. 

With all these symptoms of immaturity and childishness in mind, we should begin to turn our minds to how we can outgrow these things as quickly as possible. 

With mental and emotional maturity comes a certain level of uncommon wisdom that begins to control our behavioural responses and dominates our reasoning processes, so that a paradigm shift soon begins to occur in our daily priorities of life when we become liberated from lack of control over hormones, desires, tendencies and proclivities; to complete self control and self discipline. 

Watch out for the concluding part of this series!