You began life as a child.
You used childhood thinking—a child’s way of seeing and engaging the world.
It was how you survived and got your needs met.
But life requires a transition.
At some point, you must move from childhood thinking to adult thinking.
Childhood thinking is self-focused.
Adult thinking is relational.
Along the journey, you discover this truth:
you cannot build a deep, rich relationship while remaining in childhood thinking.
Let’s define the difference.
Boyhood — “ME” Thinking
Includes:
- Focused on taking care of self
- Individual and pleasure-centered
- Easily overwhelmed
- Impulsive decision-making
- Limited experience and perspective
- Small, short-term thinking
- Emphasis on taking and using
- Poor stress tolerance
- Strong resistance to the word no
Manhood — “US” Thinking
You step through a doorway of maturity.
Your thinking changes.
Your heart enlarges.
- Emotional self-management improves
- Angry outbursts diminish
- The happiness of others matters
- We both need to win becomes the goal
- Vision expands
- Serving is valued
- Less avoiding and denying
- Life grows richer and deeper
- True intimacy becomes possible
- Jesus matters more—and more
Close:
Some men fight hard to remain in boyhood thinking.
The cost is personal stagnation and relational struggle.
Prayer:
Father, help me release any boyhood thinking that hinders my growth.
Help me grow up into mature, Jesus-shaped thinking.
Amen.
Scripture:
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)