April 17, 2008
Growing Pains...
I just met a guy who actually grew 12 inches in one year when he was thirteen years old. He said it hurt alot... I can only imagine. Everyone of us has gone through a growth spurt at some point in our young lives where we've grown considerably taller in one year more than any other. Many of us remember some of the growing pains that came with that growth spurt.
Spiritual growth and maturity also usually involve growing pains of one kind or another. Paul, as a church planter, saw that most prominently in this fledgling young group of house churches in the city of Corinth - a church that seemed to give him more challenges than all the others put together. 2 Corinthians is filled with all kinds of ways that are required to grow up in our faith, as Paul speaks into the life of this church. Understanding pain and using comfort to help others, learning how to repent and forgive in community, understanding the impact of others on our lives, persevering through the worst of times, deciding to no longer be evaluated by the world's standards, living generous lives... These are some of the significant (and sometimes painful) ways that Paul points to growth and maturity in Christ.
Sometimes we'd like to just stay comfortable in church and consider it growth - life doesn't give us that option - neither does God. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing" (James 1:2,3).
Too bad our endurance never gets fully developed in this life...
Posted by Bruce Enns at April 17, 2008 5:13 PM
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