GOD’S WAYS: GROWING PAINS

You cannot become who you need to be by remaining what you are.

You’ve heard the words many times – “No pain, no gain.”

Or the Fonda version – “Feel the burn.”

I’m not a fan of pain by any means. I’d readily buy into a program promising painless success.

However, all that is natural grows through pain.

Bigger, more dense muscle results ONLY from tearing microscopic muscle fibers through exercise. Its the way God designed us.

And, no one gets into this world without pain, right mom?

As healthy children develop they experience what we call “growing pains.”

All transformation – “metamorphosis” in the animal kingdom – involves struggle.

No Easy Way To Growth

A man found the cocoon of an emperor moth.

He observed a small opening in the cocoon.

Fascinated, he sat and watched as the moth struggled to force its body through the little hole.

Then, all effort stopped. The creature seemed to stall in making any progress.

It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.

The man decided to help the moth. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

Then the moth emerged easily.

The Creator’s Ways

However, it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

He expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened.

In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its too short life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was the Creator’s ways.

The restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get though the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Able To Fly

In no way am I a fan of struggles but sometimes they are exactly what is needed.

If you went through life without any obstacles, it would cripple you.

You would not be as strong as what you have become without the struggle.

And you could never fly.

APPLICATION: What lessons have you learned through your struggles? Please leave a comment below. Thank you.

---

Hope grows here.  We share stories that inspire people, build faith, and offer lasting purpose.

We’d love to have you Subscribe to REVwords. We’ll put helpful content into your inbox early Mondays to get your week off to a good start.