I Don’t Know What Else I Can Do to Help You
“Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance, I don’t know how else to help you.”
Galatians 4:19–20 (NLT)
These words from Paul are a sincere and profound expression of a spiritual father’s heart. He speaks with tenderness, pain, love… and frustration. He had taught them, guided them, and poured out time, prayer, and effort. But now, seeing that some were not growing as he had hoped, he felt helpless—unsure of what more he could do to help. This experience is familiar to anyone who disciples, leads, or pastors others. It’s the emotional weight of watching people with potential remain stagnant by their own choice.
1. The Pain of Seeing That Christ Has Not Yet Been Formed in Someone
“Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again…”
Galatians 4:19 (NLT)
Paul doesn’t speak as a distant leader—he speaks as a father who loves deeply.
• He wasn’t trying to control them; he longed to see Christ formed in them.
• He didn’t seek admiration; he longed for transformation.
• He didn’t want applause; he sought lasting fruit.
This is also the heart of every true pastor, mentor, or spiritual parent: that Christ would be seen in the lives of their spiritual children.
2. The Frustration of Not Seeing the Growth You Hoped For
“I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance, I don’t know how else to help you.”
Galatians 4:20 (NLT)
Have you ever felt that way?
• You’ve taught with passion.
• You’ve walked with them in love.
• You’ve prayed through tears.
And still, some don’t respond. They don’t apply what they’ve learned. They don’t move forward. And you wonder: What more can I do?
This is the burden of discipleship—loving even when there’s no immediate response.
3. Trust That God Will Finish What He Started
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
This is the hope. This is the anchor. This is the peace.
• I sow. God causes growth.
• I teach. God transforms.
• I guide. God convicts.
My role is to be faithful in teaching. God will take care of the process.
Paul understood that there are times when we must place in God’s hands what we can no longer control.
4. Christ Is Being Formed… Even if the Process Hurts
“I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again…”
Galatians 4:19 (NLT)
Spiritual growth is neither automatic nor painless. It requires repetition, correction, patience, and above all, a love that does not give up.
• As leaders, we often suffer, cry, and start again.
• But every process is worth it if Christ becomes visible in someone’s life.
“Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance, I don’t know how else to help you.”
Galatians 4:19–20 (NLT)
Think About It:
- Are you feeling frustrated by not seeing immediate fruit in the lives of those you love and teach?
- Are you trusting that God will finish the work, even when you don’t know what else to do?
- re you willing to keep sowing, even without instant results, believing that Christ is being formed in others?