GROWING PAINS

 

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Philippians 1:6

When my son was young, he began to  complain that his legs were hurting. We thought that perhaps he had bumped it while climbing the tree in the front yard or that he had fallen off of his bike, and just did not remember it happening.  He didn’t buy into the whole “Let Mommy kiss it and make it better” thing.  I tried that, asked him if it felt better, and he replied with an emphatic  “NO!” 🤷🏽‍♀️. That isn’t how I remember the kids on tv commercials responding!   Anyway, it got to the point that the discomfort caused tears.

After nothing seemed to give him any relief, we took him to the doctor to get answers.  According to the  doctor,  he was having a rapid growth spurt in his legs meaning that the pain was caused by that "more rapid than usual" growth.  It was necessary for my son to endure this process of growth in order to become the 6 ft + man that he is today. 

Just as physical growth means increasing in size/height and is sometimes painful, the same is true of spiritual growth.  We are not called to be spiritual dwarfs. If we allow Him and submit to His process in our lives, He will perfect and complete what He has begun in our lives.  (Psalm 138:8) 

 The pain or discomfort may come in various ways as the Lord allows us to be tested or stretched out of our comfort zones.  A test may come as a result of some people you love not being supportive, turning on you  or even walking out of your life because they no longer understand you.  Some may reject you because they feel left behind and simply dislike the person into whom you are evolving.  You may face health challenges,  job or location changes, your character being attacked, finding yourself feeling isolated, or even abandoned.  

Additionally, you may experience painful, difficult things because the Lord is chastening you as a result of  ill advised choices you’ve made along the way. Even then, He wants to use those lessons (once we learn them)  to  prepare/mature us to fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives. (Proverbs 3:11,12) There is a saying that "God can turn your mess into a message”.  True. 

If you’ve ever gone on a long road trip with family, you know that there  is a good chance of some unexpected “interruption” not factored into the best made plans popping up.  An accident that stalls traffic, someone gets carsick, a flat tire, construction, etc.  However, once you reach your destination, you realize that it was all worth it. If you are flying, there can be cancellations due to weather, or a plane with mechanical issues, or last minute gate/schedule changes.

Think of a time when you were going through a really difficult and challenging season in your life.  Typically, hindsight is clearer than while in the midst of it.  If you reflect on the things that you endured, overcame, and learned during that season, you will see how the Spirit of God strengthened, guided, taught, and matured you in ways that helped you to grow spiritually.   You don’t know for sure that you have faith until it is tested. 

Gospel singer, Andre Crouch, penned these words in one of his songs.  🎶“If I had never had a problem, I’d never know  God could solve them.  I’d never know what faith in His Word could do.”🎶  Poet and writer, Maya Angelou, put it this way.  “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.  In fact, it may be necessary to encounter defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 

Blessings.

~cwp~