Growing Pains
By Charlene Israel

Pain can be good or bad; it depends on how you look at it.

Pain can be good or bad; it depends on how you look at it. God often allows us to be in uncomfortable situations that stretch us.

A few years ago I began feeling restless in my spirit. I felt dry and stagnant. I asked the Lord what was going on. I cried out for a fresh anointing. I prayed and fasted and sensed a change was coming. What God spoke came as somewhat of a surprise: "I am calling you to move." I had been visiting a church in another state, but I never imagined God would call me to move there.

I knew from experience that to obey God was the key to being blessed. I poured over His message for quite some time and received many confirmations. "Wow," I thought, "this sounds awesome. God must have something powerful planned for me." I had no clue the metamorphosis I was about to go through. Pain never came to mind. God was ready to do something new in me. It was my season to mature.

"Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)" (Ephesians 4:15, The Amplified Bible).

It has been several months since my move, and it has not been as easy or spiritually uplifting as I assumed it would be. Every area of my life has been tested in fiery trials. My family, finances, health -- you name it -- it has been under attack. I remember asking myself, "Where am I?" and "What am I doing here?" I had never experienced such discomfort in my life. I asked God, "If I am doing what you have told me to do, why is everything going wrong?" I questioned if I had heard God clearly; however, I knew in my heart that I was in His will. Still, I felt discouraged and abandoned. I told God that He was the One who told me to move. It was His plan, not mine.

When I prayed and tried to understand why I was going through such hardship, the Lord ministered these words to me: "What you are feeling is growing pains." I thought, Growing pains? He went on to explain that He was shaping me and developing godly character in me. Despite the pain I felt, I leaned not on my own understanding, and I trusted that God was with me and that He would deliver me. Though I could not see what good could come from this kind of pain, I kept believing that God had a purpose for everything I was facing. While I did not understand it, I chose to remain in His will.

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening -- it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this Way" (Hebrews 12:11, The Book).

When I pondered His words to me, I discovered that discipline actually meant to train or to educate. All along, God's plan was to train me to trust Him, especially in the hard places. It was in the hard places that I began to really grow up in God.

After being a Christian for many years, I thought I was bearing enough fruit. However, during this season, He showed me things in me that I thought were long dead. He used His Holy Ghost shears to prune parts of me that were unlike Him. He began to soften my heart, and I had to cry many times, but I knew it was His will. He was proving that He was my One True Source. He had to get me away from everyone and everything familiar. I was out of my comfort zone, and I began to use faith muscles I did not know I had. All of this was part of the growing process. I often said to myself, "I am so far out on the sea of faith that I cannot see any land." I could not go back to the way things were even if I wanted to. I knew God had more blessings for me than I had ever experienced, but I had to go through the pain in order to obtain them.

Through this painful growing process, God has become my focal point. Everything in my life revolves around Him. He has taught me to run to Him every day for everything, not just when I am in trouble. I have grown to know Him as my All In All. When I felt I could not go on, He assured me that His strength was made perfect in my weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9.)

From time to time, my flesh cried out for the familiar, but I looked to God and He never failed to provide for me and sustain me. I realized that I was being changed into who God wanted me to be. Every pre-conceived notion I had about moving to a new level in God was gone. I had to go through the pain and discomfort of this trial because God was making something beautiful in my life. As a loving Father, He wanted me to grow into a vessel of honor for His glory. I could not stay the same; it was time for my change.

"By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples" (John 15:8, NAS).
As I look back, I see pain and myself in a new light. I can see new growth in my life. When I was hurting the most was when God was working the most. God was perfecting that which concerned me. He was molding me. Truly, He is the Potter and I am the clay. He has replaced pride with humility and has given me an eagerness to lead with a genuine desire to serve. I have found that His love for me is deeper than I could ever imagine. Even when I felt confused and dismayed, God was at work in me.

The next time you find yourself asking "Why?" and you want to retreat from the new challenges you are facing, trust that God knows exactly where you are. He is doing a good work in you. Like the butterfly you see in springtime, you are growing into something beautiful. Begin to see that growing pains are God's way of getting you where you need to be in Him. In God's economy, everything you experience is used for His glory and your gain.

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