“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
I have three beautiful children.
My wife, Lisa, delivered each of them by C-section.
In what was certainly not one of my best moments as a husband, one day, as we were driving around town, I jokingly said to her, “You gave birth the easy way.”
My wife was quick to let me know, in no uncertain terms, that getting a massive needle inserted into your spine, having a doctor cut open your abdomen, and pulling out another human being is not the easy way to do anything.
I had to agree.
Men, a word of advice: never joke about childbirth, because we don’t have the slightest idea what we’re talking about.
That’s why I’m a little surprised that Paul mentions “the pains of childbirth” in his letter to the Galatians. Of all the metaphors he could’ve chosen, why would he choose something he’s never personally experienced…or will ever experience?
Now Paul’s not trying to stick his foot in his mouth (like I did). He’s conveying something very specific about what it takes to see Christ take form in a group of people. Like a woman in labor, Paul is describing both his intense struggle, as well as his intense love for the Galatians.
You see, Paul founded the churches in Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 16:6). As their spiritual father, he was genuinely concerned for their spiritual well-being. And the Galatians were drifting away from the Gospel rooted in the grace of Christ (Galatians 1:6-8).
Paul realized this was a pivotal moment in their faith journey. He was in agony, praying and pleading for them to forsake legalism and remain true to the Gospel of Christ.
At first glance, it’s easy to perceive Paul’s labor pains as irrelevant to our everyday lives.
But here are at least three ways we can apply this passage:
- Thank God for those who labored to help you discover and develop your faith in Christ. This could be a parent, a Sunday school teacher, a pastor, a friend, a mentor, etc. These people didn’t just “happen” to appear in your life. Each was a gift of God’s grace, a tangible representation of His unfailing love for you. Take a moment to give Him praise for the men and women who worked hard for your spiritual development.
- Continue to be formed into the character of Christ. We honor those who labored on our behalf by continuing to become more and more like Jesus. After all, they didn’t give their time and energy so that we would grow complacent, stagnant, or apathetic about our Christian faith. No, they experienced “the pains of childbirth,” so we’d continually be “conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29). So, wake up from your spiritual slumber and wholeheartedly pursue your relationship with Christ.
- Experience labor pains for someone else. In some form or fashion, every follower of Jesus should be involved in helping others discover and develop faith in Christ. We are called to be active participants, not spectators, in “making disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18). Just like physical labor…(yes, even C-sections), there is nothing easy about this process. Helping others mature in Christ will entail some measure of sacrifice and suffering.
But Paul reminds us that the joy of seeing someone born, whether physically or spiritually (John 3:3), far outshines the struggle of labor. (I think most mothers would agree!)
Written by Jonathan Munson, Executive Director, RFTH
DIG DEEPER INTO SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Read “Growing in Christ – A Different Perspective” by Michael Kelley
