ON THE VANGUARD

GROWING PAINS
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways.”
I Corinthians 13:11

I have always been a long time fan of the show, Growing Pains. Spanning from 1985 to 1992, I watched as Mike Seaver continued to get himself into trouble, as Carol Seaver continued to get good grades, as Ben Seaver grew into a teen of style, and as Chrissy Seaver just plain grew up. The lessons within the shows and many of the episodes I can still remember, without have to re-watch them as re-runs. But what makes the show so easy to remember? It wasn’t the goofy antics of Kirk Cameron’s character, or the fact that I found Tracey Gold to be attractive in my teen years, (even if she was slightly older than me). It was the fact that I could relate. I too was growing just as these television children were growing. I was experiencing what they were and was dealing with many the same feelings. I was growing up and having pains all my own.
Recently as I was reading a book about spirits that tend to purposefully hinder believers, I stumbled upon a section catching my attention. Allow me to share with you a portion of what I read.

“The believer also experiences growing pains. After salvation, some need deliverance from
tempers, from unclean habits, from emotional ties with past friends. Deep inside they feel
a dull thud, a slight pain as their flesh begins to war against their spirit. Those of us who
have been converted since childhood often forget what it feels like to go ‘cold turkey,’
separating from the world, the flesh, and the devil.”

As I think back to my time of conversion at age five, I can agree with the end portion of this statement. I just remember growing up in the church, having friends of like faith, and working hard to memorize scripture. It is when I think back to the last ten years of my life that I see the difference. In spending more time with God recently and allowing Him to point out areas where I have slipped, I see the unclean habits, the tempers, the pains, and the ties that need breaking. So why do I see it now?
The answer to this question I believe is found in I Corinthians 13:11. As I have allowed God to work to mature me, I have been convicted of my childish behaviors and have begun to put the childish things away. Now to clarify, this does not mean that playing with Legos or collecting baseball cards, or the things I used to do as a child are wrong to do now. This scripture is referring to the growing we do in the Spirit. Looking back over my time since childhood to now, I can see landmark moments when spiritual leaps were made. These were the growing pains. Coming out of an addiction, being teased about my walk with God as a child, making a decision to attend a private college, having to work on my anger issues, these were all steps that I had to go through, and with God’s help overcome. These were just a few of my growing pains. But these were what has defined me and made me into the man I am now. If I had not grown up in these experiences, spiritually I would still be a child.
I want to leave you with something to think about. I want you to contemplate where you are in your spiritual growth. For the moment I am not just talking about whether or not you read your Bible and such. I am more concerned with if you are letting the Bible, or more so God’s voice, work in you. Are you allowing His Word to change you? Unless we let the Word get in us and change us, then all we are doing is reading a best-selling book of stories. In letting His Word get in deep, penetrate the heart and aid in through the pains of growth, then we will still be suffering the same issues that He is wanting to help us to overcome. Maybe it is time we allow His Word to give us a spiritual growth spurt, and not run from the challenges He is wanting to help us overcome.