Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Growing Pains!

When my son was young, he would complain of terrible leg pain when he would go to bed. He would wake me up with his crying, he would say, "I think my skin is trying to come off!" Of course his skin was not trying to come off, we came to the conclusion that what he was experiencing was growing pains.

There wasn't much we could do for his pain, he just had to endure it. Eventually his growing pains subsided but in the meantime, the best comfort I could give him was rubbing his legs and giving him a hug. Even though this act of love did not take away his pain completely, it helped him make it thru another night.

Many times, as growing Christians we also experience growing pains. Some people call it trials or tribulations. Trials or growing pains...either way you describe it, it is often very painful to go thru. But all the while that we struggle, or have pains in our lifes, God is using our situations to stretch us, to mold us, to make us better. To be more refined.

Just as my son found comfort in my acts of love, God also is comforting us during our times of pain. He understands what we are going thru and He stays right by our side thru it all. We may wonder why He doesn't take the pain and heartache from us, but it is in the midst of our pain that we often draw closest to Him.

Having spiritual growing pains is meant to soften our hearts and to give us more compassion towards others that may go thru the same difficulties in the future. Going thru trials brings humility to us and teaches us to depend upon God. Growing pains also can take the focus off of us and placed upon God and what His will is for our lives.

Without the pains of growing, we would not know how to trust Him or obey Him or even need Him.

ROMANS 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose."

It is during the growing pains of our christian journey that we feel the peace of God in our lives. Even though we can still feel the sting of the pain, we also feel the hand of God working in us and thru our situation.

Are you experiencing some growing pains today?

God is giving you a testimony...but you have to go thru the test first!