Growing Up

Growing Up

Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

Ephesians 3:17

Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

1 Peter 4:1-2

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 1:3-4

Nobody wants to suffer. In fact, most of us would have to admit that we spend a lot of energy doing everything we can to avoid pain. But suffering should not surprise us. Scripture tells us over and over to expect it.

We might think that the best method to grow up spiritually is to attend Bible studies and accumulate spiritual knowledge. But God’s method of choice to make us spiritually mature seems to be suffering. However, suffering itself doesn’t do the job. It is how we respond to the suffering that determines if the pain will become fertile ground for real growth. Growth comes when we respond to the major heartaches and minor difficulties in our lives with an attitude of endurance. Growth comes when we can say in the face of suffering, “This will not diminish my faith or trust in God. It will only cause me to dig deeper in my faith and trust him more fully.”

So when we struggle, how will we look at our pain? Will we see it as God falling down on the job of keeping our lives pain free? Or will we see it for what it is—a tool God is using to strengthen our faith?

DISCUSSION STARTERS

When parents discipline their children, what is their goal?

Why do you think people tend to see their suffering as a sign that God doesn’t care instead of as a sign that God loves them?

Do you know anyone who is stronger in his or her faith in God because of an experience of suffering?