Growth is often painful. Just ask my ever-expanding uterus. Better yet, travel back a few months to pregnancy week ten. The rapidly multiplying cells creating the biological framework of our unborn daughter were causing nausea, vomiting, and exhaustion like you wouldn't believe. Now entering into the third trimester, stretch marks are quickly taking over my "mushy" areas, and my fingers are too fat to wear my wedding ring. I told my husband he needed to quickly find a cheap replacement ring before some other guy tried to "snatch this hot thing up". He chuckled, and I was offended.
The symptoms of pregnancy are uncomfortable, but any textbook would remind us that these are part of the natural process of life forming life. Pain and discomfort are just part of the deal (thanks, Eve). And it's not just pregnancy. Drew and I led a neighborhood parish for over two years before recently stepping into a new role at Sojourn. During those years, our parish multiplied three new parishes. As I look back over that time, I'll be the first to confess that spiritual multiplication (making disciples, multiplying parishes and planting churches) might be more painful than physical childbirth. I'm only 7 months pregnant so the jury is still out on this, but suffice it to say, the Fall has not only affected our God-given purpose of multiplying offspring throughout the earth. It has affected our spiritual fruitfulness as well. When sin entered our world, the blessing of bearing fruit and multiplying upon the earth became hijacked by pain, bitterness, anxiety, loss, and death (Genesis 3). Even still, it has always been God's desire to reconcile His people back to himself. Despite our failings, He promises that He will love, bless and multiply His people (Deuteronomy 7, Jeremiah 30). Why? Because it is our fruitfulness and our multiplication that most clearly displays His glory in the world (Matthew 13). We cannot produce life in and of ourselves, and we are utterly dependent on the grace and mercy of our Savior to produce that life within us. This has been given to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He suffered, knowing that the joy set before him was worth the price that had to be paid (Hebrews 12, Philippians 2).
After His resurrection, Jesus leaves us with the command to "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28). This is no easy task. It hurts to walk with someone through the mud and the muck only to have them turn away in search of fleeting pleasures. Its uncomfortable when we send our friends out to build a new community for the sake of the gospel, being left to rebuild from the void they left behind. Its awkward to make new friends with people you have very little in common with, people you may not have handpicked to love.
But, friends, it is worth it for us to press on in the task we have been given. We know that sin and death don't have the last word (1 Cor. 15:54-55; John 16:33). Therefore, we can follow the example given to us in Christ, putting to death our sin which always seeks the path of least resistance. By grace alone, we can even rejoice in our discomforts and momentary afflictions because our God is a restorer and a redeemer of all things! He chooses to use us, a broken people, to proclaim His glory throughout the nations! So then, I can bear the pains of childbirth knowing that the pain will be nothing but a shadow once we meet our daughter. Likewise, we can bear the temporary tears and daily discomforts of making disciples because we look forward to seeing the lost set free from the bondage of sin. We wait anxiously and press on to see the gospel go forth into the dark places of our city. As we say often at Sojourn, may the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering in Houston.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18)
