Growing Pains

I think sometimes I avoid doing “hard” things like I avoid the plague. Actually, I don’t think this, I know it. Don’t you ever wish for the “easy” life? Imagine you’re at work, school, etc. and things are just really busy or stressful or challenging and you start daydreaming about being on a beach somewhere without a care in the world.

Or sometimes, you look at people who may not be trying to live a “Christian” life and think they’ve got it easy. They don’t need to worry about reading their Bible everyday, or making sure they are in God’s will all the time, loving their enemies, or even waking up for church on Sunday morning.

I read an article this morning that really hit me hard. Here’s the link…

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001726.cfm

It talks about the fact that we are SUPPOSED to be doing the hard stuff. Walking with Jesus is not easy. That inspires me and scares me at the same time. The article says that God wants to see us grow up. He wants to see us mature. But how do you do this without growing pains? The answer is…you can’t

There are so many unanswered questions in my life right now. Sometimes I find myself experiencing discontentment because I want all the desires of my heart given to me and all my questions answered RIGHT NOW and I don’t want to work or wait for it. But what would be the reward in that?

This quote from the article jumped off the page at me…
Our big, crazy idea is that this is the life God has called us to live now — not 10 or 20 years from now, but right now, as young people. This is your best life, not your easiest life; the only way to avoid wasting your single years and ultimately your life.

My discontentment is useless. My avoidance of doing the “hard” things is hindering. And as I sit and reflect on times in my life that I had to persevere through some really difficult things, I remember that the end result of that trial was a HUGE growth spurt.

Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering.... The love of God did not protect His own Son.... He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.
--Elisabeth Elliot