by Pastor Rich Carlson

After prioritizing my life around love, as Paul described in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, I still was confronted with the importance of focusing on the gifts that God has given me, and how to use them most effectively for His church and His work. Chapter 14 focuses on speaking in tongues and prophesying, and seems to use these two examples as illustrations of how to blend emotion and reason into worship. Both seem to play a role, but Paul, who says he speaks in tongues more than any of them, emphasizes the importance of order and understanding and would rather teach truth with his mind than express emotion with his heart. Both seem to be valid, but he emphasizes instruction over emotion.

One verse stood out in chapter 14, perhaps because it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the topic he was covering! “In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” I like that thought. Sometimes I get it confused and think I am “wise” when I seek to understand the intricacies of evil so that I am “well informed.” I was playing with my grandson last night and we were talking about how infants don’t even know what evil is. They don’t do bad things, we attribute bad to their actions. They are “discovering” not being naughty! They are “learning” not disobeying. That might change as they get older, but not before I have done all I can to help them know that they are good. Discipline and thinking will come, but for now, I would rather assume good than assume bad.

That’s the way I want my life to be too. I would rather assume good, within the context of rational thinking, than to assume bad. I don’t want to learn about evil, I would rather learn about good. I would rather have transparent motives than hidden motives. I would rather feel stupid in the presence of sin than to understand it and have to live with its effect on my mind. I already know too much about sin just from living in a world full of it. I have to make continual conscious choices about what I let into my mind if I want to limit my knowledge of evil.

Sexual immorality, selfishness, and violence engulf me if I let them because they are everywhere. I want to remain as uninformed as possible about these things as the world presents them to me, but that takes discipline and mature decision making. Children don’t know the difference and I have to teach them. As an adult I am experienced enough to have seen the consequences of allowing evil into my life. If I have a choice—and I do, and so do you—to learn anything, I would rather learn about Jesus. I hope you decide the same.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.