11-25-2023
No Pain, No Gain
You can call me biased if you like, but in my opinion, the Christian life is the greatest life there is. In fact, at LifePoint Church we often say, “Following Jesus will make your life better and it will make you better at life.” And it’s true. God takes a life that was empty and aimless and, worst of all, headed to a certain judgment, and He turns it around and transforms it. That is more than enough right there. But in addition, He removes the guilt that haunted us, fills the emptiness inside of us and literally takes residence in our heart. This all comes as a result of the believing the Gospel message and putting our faith in Jesus Christ.
All of that is the good news. And I’m not sure there’s really any “bad news” to be had here, but there can be expectations that go unmet. Too often, people who do what I do, neglect to give “the whole story”……and that can lead people to have unrealistic expectations. Some people think, “Well, I’m following God now so my life will be perfect with no bumps or detours along the way.” That’s not accurate, and those who have that idea are often sidelined because of something that happens that they didn’t expect. Maybe some illness shows up, or some financial crisis hits. Someone else gets the job you were hoping for or the scholarship doesn’t come through. Did God let you down? No. Expectations let you down. You expected everything to be perfect. That’s unrealistic. Hey, things weren’t perfect for Jesus……why should they be perfect for you and me?
Even though following Jesus is the best thing ever, there is still adversity along the way and adversity is actually a good thing. Adversity levels us and keeps us humble. C’mon….you know it’s true that when everything is going well we tend to ignore God. But when there’s some kind of struggle we turn to God because we are reminded of what really matters.
When life gets really hard and adversity strikes, we pray – and so we should. But sometimes when life is going reasonably well, we sort of forget about prayer. In his book “The Problem of Pain,” C. S. Lewis writes, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Second, adversity teaches us things that we would not otherwise learn. I choose to avoid pain at all costs. That is why I don’t run. I have tried it, and it hurts. I have even had people say, “Just run a little. You know, walk, and then run from here to there.” So I do it. And I hate it. I avoid things that cause pain. We want to get into shape, but we want a pain-free workout (maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so) . We don’t want to hurt. We don’t want our muscles to be sore the next day. But as the expression goes, “No pain, no gain.” And what is true for the gym is also true of life. No pain, no gain. If you are looking for a pain-free life, then you are not going to grow spiritually. Pain reminds us of a deeper need, which is a need for God.
Think about some of the greatest lessons you have learned in your life. They have come through adversity, haven’t they? And those are the things that you pass on and share with others. You remember those times when God came through for you.
Third, adversity gives us a new compassion for others who are in pain. When you go through adversity, you have a new consideration of others. It has been said that success builds walls, and failures build bridges. If everything is always perfect and life is always firing on every cylinder, people don’t relate to that. But they do relate to a person who is going through or who has been through pain.
The apostle Paul said, “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4).
We need to continue in the faith. Even when your faith is being tested, remember: real faith gets stronger through hardship, not weaker. It becomes more resilient. It doesn’t fall apart. So press on. And when you are facing adversity, don’t focus on emotions that fluctuate. Remember that God is there with you. And remember that He is in control.