First Good Samaritan Baptist Church
The Caring Church, Preparing the World by Sharing the WORD!

WEEKLY WORD

GROWING PAINS

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:2-4 New Living Translation

Many of us have either used these words or referred to this idea regarding teenagers. In order to explain the development of adolescent youth in their years of promise and difficulty refer to this as GROWING PAINS.
As a child of God, we are also subjected to the idea of growing pains. James, the writer, gives us a peek into the promise and pain of a child of God that can only be described as growing pains. James gives us a scripture that reflects the song entitled: “No Cross…No Crown.” It is the growing that speaks to the success of a Christian but also the pain speaks to the suffering of a Christian. Paul eludes to this idea of growing pains that refer to the success and suffering of a child of God’s development.

Romans 8:17

17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Growing pains suggests that if you are unwilling to bear a cross then you are unfit to wear a crown. Our growing in Christ does not exclude pain but the good news is that as we GO THROUGH THE PAINS OF LIFE…WE SHOULD ALSO BE GROWING TOO.

James introduces us to the pain by speaking of the presence of TROUBLE. He records that trouble is inevitable for a child of God. In other words, pain is unavoidable for a child of God. However, the good news is that trouble has a purpose. When it comes to trouble, it has a purpose to test our faith that produces patience.

There is a saying that says, “A faith that is not tested is a faith that can’t be trusted.” So as we are going through the pains in life, then we ought to be GROWING TOO that results in a faith that produces patience that perseveres!

Rev. James A. Simmons, Senior Pastor