Why Is Growth So Uncomfortable? Morning Watch Mondays

I am always proud of my son, but these last weeks I’ve come to admire him. He is beginning to lift weights at our local YMCA regularly, and though he is feeling the results in how badly his body aches, he knows it’s good for him. This new venture is not the result of a New Years resolution nor a pressure from a coach or parent. He simply wants to become stronger, and realizes that action has to be taken for things to change, even if it means that he will have to suffer for it. I admire the strength growing in him both inwardly and outwardly.

Yet I am afraid for his struggle ahead with this new interest because I know my own history. First of all, the genes I share with him are not programmed with much stick-to-it-ivness in the fitness department. Instead, I’m pretty sure he is “lucky” enough to have DNA coded with pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, green clovers, blue diamonds, and purple horseshoes! Second of all, working out is hard and uncomfortable! Building muscles sounds great and all, but for muscles to grow they have to regularly be torn apart and be rebuilt again. WHAT?! That sounds painful and exhausting!

Why does changing and growing have to be so uncomfortable?

Last Monday, we celebrated the life of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., someone who was willing to truly suffer in the name of growth. In his efforts to create racial and social justice in our society, he chose to put himself in uncomfortable and dangerous situations, so much so that he was killed for his efforts. He once said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable…Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle, the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” -“The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, Plume His life and legacy are a greater example of how change and growth requires discomfort and sacrifice.

Our world and our lives suffer because there is something inside of us that is badly broken. The hard news is there’s no way for us to lift enough weights, or try to do enough right things, or suffer enough to fix our broken hearts. Have you ever tried? Me too. It seems that even though I may be aware of the right and good things to do, I actually do whatever serves my selfish feelings instead. Gross, right?

Did you know that the God who made me and you knows that we are suffering, and His heart hurts for us? In fact, He came into our world so that you and I could be freed from our suffering! His name is Jesus, and while He lived on Earth He spent all of His time listening to and healing the hearts and hurts of His people. Out of His great love for us He wanted people to understand that we are not designed to live on our own strength, and to have faith that only God can be trusted to heal our lives and hearts.

However, many people misunderstood Jesus and mistreated Him because they didn’t like hearing Him say that they couldn’t figure life out on their own. Jesus suffered both emotionally and physically at the hands of the very people He had made, and was even beaten and killed by them. God knows what being hurt by those closest to you feels like. He was rejected and misunderstood. Yet He was not defeated by suffering. He actually defeated death by rising from the grave to show us that suffering and fear are powerless over Him. And He invites me and you to join Him in this new life, by faith.