7-13-07 Galatians 4:19

Galatians 4:19 (NAS)
My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—

Galatians 4:19 (NIVUS)
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

Galatians 4:19 (Philips)
Oh, my dear children, I feel the pangs of childbirth all over again till Christ be formed within you,

Over the years you have grown in your relationship and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are more like Him today than when you first met Him. You are being conformed to His image and transformed into His likeness.

However, there was a time that you thought you would never change. You could see very little growth; the weaknesses of your flesh were very evident. At times you were not even sure that you were truly born again. You continually asked for prayer from your leaders and mentors. They encouraged you and you continued to press in and press on until you finally saw fruit start to develop in your life.

You are so grateful for these that believed in you. Now you find yourself in a position to help younger believers. Now you have spiritual children, your disciples, whom you are teaching. You are nourishing their minds and helping mold their characters through the wisdom you have gained in your walk.

Like Paul, you travail in prayer for these "little ones". You feel pain, sorrow, and grief for them, when they fail. You wrestle with the powers of evil on their behalf. Again and again you lift them to the throne of God; for you desire to see them formed and molded to look like Yeshua. You know that the "spiritual" genes, the very essence of Jesus Christ, the Anointed of God, resides in them. You know that soon you will see the image of God's Son shining through them, even as it now shines through you.