“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you...” Galatians 4:19

    Have you ever had to tell your children something more than once? Do you find yourself yearning to make some point clear, only to find out later that they listened to someone else and choose a different path? Boy that’s tough, isn’t it!

    How about the times when you’ve agonized over your children when they abandon traits you fought so hard to produce in them? Sure makes you feel like your efforts may have been wasted!

    What would it be like to watch your child turn their life over to you, only to watch a few years later as they abandon your ways for that of another, or themselves, and give themselves over to destruction? Nothing but pure agony!

    How about looking on as the ones you loved talked the right talk but walked a much different walk when no one was watching? My oh my that is so painful!

    Or to have those who were once closest to you have a change of heart and love another with more zeal? Oh my, that is surely heartbreaking!!

...all his efforts seemed to be in vain.

    Welcome to Paul’s world. After what appears to be just a short time, the Galatian believers were abandoning the gospel Paul had preached for a teaching that was no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7, 4:17). For Paul it was like the pains of childbirth — not that he would really understand the physical pain, right ladies? — but that all his efforts seemed to be in vain. That he would have to begin from scratch to lead them back to Christ all over again. It must have been hard to watch people you worked with and loved abandon the faith.

    Welcome to God’s world! What Paul faced a few times, God has faced for all time. So often we struggle with our families and we get so self-absorbed in our own heartbreak and drama that we forget about our Father who feels so much more strongly for us, and our rebellions, and our foolishness, and our mistakes, and our sins, and our...

    Incredibly, God is willing to “go through the pains of childbirth again” for you and me. His only prerequisite is that we be willing to begin again.

    It wasn’t too late for the Galatian believers to turn back, nor is it for any who still breathe the breath of life. Is today the day you turn back to God and let Him heal you and begin to form Christ in you again? ”. . . if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

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Title: "Pains of Childbirth"
Author: Mark Waltenbaugh
Publication Date: May 31, 2001

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