Growing Pains

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
- Acts 6:1

With growth comes challenge.

The early church steadily grew. People heard the good news about Jesus and responded. They committed their lives to Christ. They joined the church and found ways to serve.

As the church grew numerically, it also grew in diversity. Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews worshipped the Lord together. People from all over the world came to Jerusalem, encountered the story of Jesus, and participated in the worshipping and witnessing life of the church.

As more people joined the Christian community, social ties stretched thinner and thinner. Everyone didn’t know everyone else. And this dynamic collided with the growing diversity of the church. Rifts began to form. And without anyone demonstrating any particular ill-will, conflict arose.

Challenge always comes with growth. The question that’s presented to us is: “What will we do in response to these challenges?”

Look at this in your own life. As you grow spiritually, your vision increases. You start to see problems and issues that you didn’t see or care about before. God tugs on your heart. And sometimes this is challenging. How will you respond?

This happens in communities as well. As a church or neighborhood or family grows – as it becomes larger and more diverse – relational dynamics become more complex. Your newly married kids now spend holidays at their new in-laws. More people in the neighborhood means more traffic. You see people at church you don’t recognize. How will you respond?

The early church could have responded to the challenge of growth by closing their doors to new people. Or they could have split into two churches: a Hellenistic church and a Hebraic church. Instead, they responded to growth as a challenge and an opportunity, and God made a way for them to move forward.

Where in your personal life are you growing (family, work, faith, etc.)? What kinds of challenges is that growth producing for you? How are you responding to those challenges? Where do you need help?

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