Why is progress so painful?

Why is it that progress is always a painful process? Why do we fight against things that may improve our lives and/or situations? I'll never understand it but it seems like every effort for progress always encounters roadblocks, differences of opinion, fear of change.... That's really it, I think. Fear of change. We fear the unknown therefore we fear what has yet to be experienced. We fear the uncomfortable, and since we do not know if the new (fill in the blank) will be comfortable, we fear the new. We fear change because we grow used to the known and the comfortable (or what has become comfortable). I think we become lazy and don't want to put in the effort that change requires up front. We fear change because it may mean (and usually does) that we have to give up some control and/or we have to walk in faith.

Faith. Isn't that what we Christians should be striving to walk more in? Isn't that what is supposed to be growing in our lives as we walk with Christ? Why then is progress fought against the most within the walls of the church? Isn't that contradictory to what we are to be doing? I find it most interesting and indeed most saddening that progress is often looked on as "wrong" or "worldly" or causes divisions in the body of Christ. I am a member of the leadership in my home church and we are currently in the middle of some decisions we believe God is leading us to. These decisions are considered to be somehwhat of a "progress" from the church's past, yet they are so far causing quite a stir among some of the congregation. I'm praying very hard that things will turn out for the best but progress can be so painful.

Isn't it a good thing that Jesus didn't turn away from pain when He made His progress towards the cross?