Growth hurts. Asking any kid who is experiencing those nasty growing pains.
Ask any child who has pins in a bone to prevent growth.
The same is true with Christ. In fact, often what we experience in the physical has a corresponding lesson in the spiritual!
We recently had a Sports Camp / VBS in our community. I taught the Bible lessons each night. And it wasn't a week I wanted to be teaching Bible lessons - extended family issues, physical issues, spiritual issues - you name it!- were in play.
Basically, any area that I had ever had an issue or insecurity about in my entire life was gutted open.
"Only you (Jesus) can turn me inside out," the children sang each night. And that's what I felt like. Inside out.
Gutted.
Growth. Some things were truth, some things were chaff. Some things were God and some where man. Some things were me and some things were other peoples, well, things.
My sweet Daughter-on-Loan prayed for me to accept those things God had and to let the others things, issues, words fade away.
The pains of growth are real. They are fact. But they are revealing a greater good in me. Often they happen in times when the enemy throws everything he can at you to distract you from the potential the situation has for you.
Stay in the fire. Face it. The pain won't last and the growth is good!
