Introduction:
During times of trials and tests, heaven can seem silent. In these moments of ‘silence’ God has given us a key to open heaven’s door. He wants us to push in prayer and praise.
Pain with a Purpose:
Those of us who have been blessed with the privilege of having children can relate to the experience of either experiencing or supporting a spouse during the birthing experience.
Labour starts off with a twinge, tingle, show, water breaking or a dull ache, then progresses to an intense build-up and tailing off of pain called contractions that lasts between 10-40 seconds. During that labouring process there are times when a woman may feel like she wants to give up! I remember when I was labouring with Isaac my second son, at one point I strongly considered jumping out of the window of my labour room! However, although I would have been removed from the ‘labour room’ it wouldn’t have removed me from the labour pain.
Have you ever encountered brothers and sisters in Christ who thought that if they only had another friend, husband, job, church or different circumstances life would be a bed of roses? Are you such a person? It’s important to know that the birth pains are within us and are not wholly based on external factors (although they can sometimes soften or magnify the pain experienced by the individual). The pain of childbirth is a productive pain, and in our Christian walk each pain that we experience holds a distinct and unique purpose. God hand picks your pain to mold and shape you in the way that seems best to Him (Jeremiah 18: 3-4 (NIV).
How much longer?
All labours are different, some women labour for days, some for hours, some for minutes! With each labour comes a different experience and a different special and unique baby.
Likewise our trials are unique in length, intensity and purpose of molding us. Sometimes, God is smoothing over our cracks and creases and at other times he is giving us a totally new shape. Our Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves, we are not even aware of how many hairs are on our head, but our Heavenly Father is! (Luke 12:7a NIV).
Therefore, we can rest assured in the fact that each trial experienced in our Christian walk is of no coincidence. It was ordained by God to mould you. Our pain is not only personalised for us, but God promises to be the perfect birthing partner whilst we endure our pain. Isaiah 43: 2 (NIV) states that ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’
God wants us to endure through our labour. We must persevere even when things get tough and focus on the end goal in sight. Hebrews 12:1b (NIV) reminds us to
‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Furthermore, James 1:2 reminds us to consider it joy when we go through trials!
A necessary pain
When the first signs of labour appeared for my second son Isaac, I remember first telling my husband and the excitement he felt, I remember him dropping the car keys when we walked out of the house, because he felt so excited and happy. Little did he know the pain he was about to see his wife experience! It was a shock to his system when he saw the agony that I was going through. But the necessary birth pains that produce a baby, or in spiritual terms a ‘kingdom baby’ are inevitable as a child of God, Just look at the cross of Calvary if you need a reminder, as Christians, persecution and trials is an inevitable part of our journey!
So then, our first reaction to trials should be joy! Joy in the expectancy in the hope of meeting our ‘kingdom babies’. Babies, of strength in the Lord, maximised faith, a new figure and shape in the Lord, supernatural increases and blessings as well as life changing testimonies that impact the lives of others!
Blessings,
Maz x
lightinsightbymj 