It is not uncommon for children or teenagers to wake up in the morning and say that their legs hurt or their muscles ache. If they didn’t do anything particularly strenuous the preceding days, we might explain that they have growing pains. Growth sometimes is painful, including spiritual growth, because of the nature of the issues we are dealing with.
Sometimes the issues are long-standing patterns that afflict our thinking or lure our flesh. Those patterns form grooves that we easily fall into and have difficulty getting out of. Other times the issues are practices we know we should start, but lack of organization, determination, or confidence prevents us from adding to our faith. Still other times the issues are wrong reactions to opposition or distress. We want to do right, but we don’t.
Know this: the Lord loves you and wants you to grow. He wants to help you. Confess known sin, and by faith operate by what you know the Word of God says. The Lord will give you the grace to change, and the result will be growth. Is it hard to grow? Sometimes it is. But the perseverance is worth it.