Embracing Growing Pains
I had a conversation with a friend recently that got me thinking about growing pains, and how much of a constant they are in my (and probably your) journey with the Lord. It’s funny to me that they’re called growing pains, because it feels like an oxymoron—such a contradictory phrase. Growth is a wonderful thing, and pain is just…pain. Going through childbirth 3 times, I’ve been told time and time again to breathe through the pain—tensing up or resisting will only make it feel much worse. That can be so true for many other things in life, both in the spiritual and the natural.
Many times we view growth and seasons of stretching as a frustration or a burden, simply because it’s uncomfortable. We resist, question, feel confused, even going as far as to convince ourselves something must not be right—there must be a way of escape from what is undoubtedly an attack from the enemy. And while yes, spiritual warfare is real and should not be dismissed or ignored, it can be a hard pill to swallow to find out that a challenging season is actually not because of the enemy, but rather a season of maturing and stretching that was in fact orchestrated by the Father.
Can I encourage you? Discomfort does not automatically = destruction. If it’s from God, it will not destroy you. But at the same time this is the God who tells us in His word to die to ourselves:
23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.
Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.
The kind of discomfort God allows you and I to go through—time and time again—mainly comes from the peeling away of a version of yourself you were never meant to be. The pain comes from a false version of yourself dying. One that brings no glory to Christ. This is the reality of the process God can take us through. It’s always meant to be beauty, but it can feel so painful. How can the two be true?
The temptation is to view it as “I’m always doing something wrong, why can’t I get this right? Why is this so hard? Make this stop, please!” etc. But the perspective I urge us all to have is “the ‘me’ on the other side of this discomfort/trial/pain is the ‘me’ God always intended, and she (or he) is being released from the captivity of the false identity that once dominated.”
The you that was shaped by hurt, trauma, sin, iniquity, and the manipulations of the enemy is fading. The real you, originated and designed by the Father in the heavens, is being revealed. That will always be worthwhile. Why? It’s all throughout God’s word, but the verse in John 12 that I shared earlier gives a hint—fruitfulness. Your growth is about you, yes, and yet also way bigger than you. The seed of your death-to-self will produce the fruit of Jesus glorified in the earth. When that happens, Christ truly gets to shine through your life, you live as the light of the world you were meant to be, and it will draw many to Him. That is God’s ultimate priority. But how can the light come through when we’re so attached to the darkness?
It’d be strange to hear someone say, “I regret exercising because it was painful at first, even though now I’m stronger, healthier, and more energized” or, “I regret learning this new skill that I now enjoy and has opened up new opportunities, because it was so hard to learn at first.” You don’t hear someone who found freedom from depression and mental torment say, “I regret all the tears and work I did to heal and surrender to the Lord, even though now I’m full of joy and strength, because it was so painful.” It sounds silly, huh? Yet, we find ourselves in another one of these seasons, shocked as can be, holding on for dear life.
If you find yourself in a season of growth and it’s felt rough, don’t fret—I can guarantee you with confidence that if you trust the Lord and the leading of His Spirit, you will make it through. Resist the urge to fight the process; embrace the growing pains so you don’t stunt your own transformation. And if you haven’t heard it in a while, let me be the one to say, again with confidence—God is SO proud of you. Receive His love and grace, and rest as He continues to transform you.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
