Growing Pains

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I have probably heard that verse more than a hundred times in my lifetime, and I love it. It is one of those famous, feel-good verses that we all go to in times of trouble. However, we often stop short and forget to keep reading.

Verse 29 says, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

When God says that He will work for the good of those who love Him, we have to keep reading to find out what exactly that "good" really is. We tend to think that the "good" God is working toward is the "good" that we have in mind. We want Him to work things out for our good - which is our own ideas of everything working out or falling into place the way we would have it. But when you read verse 39, you get a little different picture.

This "good" that God is working toward in our struggles is that we will be made more into the image of Christ.

Ultimately, this is what we want. We don't want things our own way because we know God's ways are so much better than our own. But when we are right in the midst of the actual trouble, this is hard. And it hurts.  

"It is kind of like growing pains," I told my friend as we were walking and talking one night about our current struggles. "I used to wonder why it hurt so much to grow." I remember when I was younger how my whole body would just ache as it stretched inside and out. I would ask my mom what was going on, and she would remind me, "Oh, it's just growing pains."

I told my friend, "I now believe that we have physical growing pains when we are young to teach us and prepare us for the growing pains that our spirits have, too."

This idea of growing pains just keeps coming up. I think I have talked about it with at least six people in the last few weeks. This is because people are hurting...and growing. Including me.

So when the whole body aches as your very being is being stretched inside and out, remember that you are growing. God is working all things together for the good - for our good and His glory - which is that we be made more and more into the image of beautiful Jesus.

I finished the "walk n' talk" with my friend with a simple prayer that I now share with you:

God, we welcome the growing pains because they are growing us and shaping us into the image of Christ.