Growing is Tough

I don’t know about you, but I wish spiritual growth was so difficult. Why can’t it be as easy as gaining weight? 

Gaining weight is a breeze—most of the time, it’s even enjoyable. If I wanted to pack on a few pounds, I’d just indulge in my fast food favorites: burgers and fries. Trust me, I could happily live on that stuff and watch the scale climb in no time.

But spiritual growth—the kind that deepens our faith, that’s a different story. It’s not as simple as piling on more doctrine or soaking up Bible teaching. I know, it almost sounds heretical to say it, but hear me out: knowledge alone doesn’t make us grow. 

Don’t get me wrong—knowledge matters. It’s the foundation we build on. But real growth happens when we take that foundation and live it out. It’s the application that transforms us.

James, Jesus’ half-brother, put it this way:  

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4, NLT) 

James teaches us that growth isn’t a classroom exercise—it’s forged in the messiness of life. It’s where theory collides with reality, where the rubber meets the road. According to him, the greatest growth potential lies in trials, temptations, and even tragedies. When life falls apart—when dreams shatter and the future looks bleak—how we respond shapes who we become. Choosing to trust God’s promises, even when they feel distant or unreal, sets us on the path to spiritual maturity.

So what does this mean for us today? It means we should stop chasing the illusion of a perfectly safe, secure life—it doesn’t exist. Instead, we should step boldly into the brokenness of the world. If we’re serious about growing, another Bible study or devotional book isn’t the answer. What is needed is living out what God has  revealed to us, no matter the cost or consequences.

Joy in the midst of trouble doesn’t mean we enjoy the pain. It means we recognize that pushing through it molds us into people who demonstrate the character of Jesus a little bit better. We grow stronger, become more mature, and even move closer to God as we respond by faith the trials of life. This is what brings us joy.

Growing is tough. Change is tough. It won’t happen by passively reading a blog post (sorry!) or sitting through another Sunday sermon. Spiritual formation into the image of Jesus demands hard choices, gritty endurance, and weathering life’s storms. Sure, cracking open a book is easier, but the rewards of standing firm through dark times—with faith intact—are infinitely greater.