NO PAIN, NO GAIN

No pain, no gain. Heard that before, right? Me too, lots of times actually. But I never really understood or appreciated it until very recently. I never knew to expect quite so much pain, in such a myriad of wondrous ways, especially without any clear discernible ‘gain’ in sight.

Stuff is going wrong and you think, wait a minute, why aren’t I happy? Isn’t God supposed to make me happy? Isn’t that what the pastor said? Didn’t he say I’d get all my hearts desires? Why aren’t I happy God? Quick, make me happy!

 

God isn’t obligated to make you happy, He’s committed to making you HOLY!

 

The story was told of a man who goes for an interview in a town far away. He leaves his hotel bright and early the morning of the interview but gets caught in a traffic jam. He can see the building in the distance so he gets out of the taxi and starts running, but it’s raining heavily. He gets there 5 mins late, soaked to his skin, and is told to take a seat and wait. He waits there 6 hours, afraid to go to the bathroom or grab a bite in case the boss man walks out while he’s gone. Eventually the boss walks out laughing and smiling with the man he just gave the job to, because he was on time and our man wasn’t. He hangs his head makes his way back to the hotel and goes straight to the bar. He sits there, contemplating drowning his sorrows in liquor. Across the bar this ravishing beauty in a skin tight dress stares at him and smiles an open invitation. He thinks, at least let me have this one thing to console myself after this horrible day. Then his phone rings...

It’s his wife, she’s crying hysterically. There have been Noah-category rains back home and their house is flooded. She doesn’t know what to do. He knows he needs to get home as fast as possible. He leaves without another glance at the skin tight invitation, checks out of his hotel and uses the last of his travelling money to get a flight home. He moves the family in with his parents while the flood waters recede and he makes repairs to the house...

Months later he’s at his men’s fellowship meeting giving the testimony of the day he almost destroyed his marriage with a lady in a skin-tight dress.

He got a better job, he was a hero to his wife and kids. And he has a testimony to help others who are standing there, soaking wet after losing that job or failing that exam...

Have you had days like that? I have. I’ve had my dreams crushed, my expectations unmet, my pride battered and bruised...

So no, I didn’t to expect quite so much pain, in such a myriad of wondrous ways, especially without any clear discernible ‘gain’ in sight.

And I definitely didn’t know to be thankful. Well, theoretically I did know, but I didn’t really understand I wasn’t practising it. I had got it all wrong.

No, I’m not off my rocker. I am NOT talking about ENJOYING pain, that’s masochism. If I found pleasure in pain there’d be something seriously wrong with me. 

I’m talking some James level talk here.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers  temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:2-4

I’m talking some Paul level talk here.

And we KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

To them that LOVE GOD, to them who are called according to HIS purpose.

Romans 8:28

We know this last verse eh?

Memorized it in Sunday school?

 Had it recited to you when you lost a loved one? Or failed an exam? Or didn’t get that job? Or got dumped by the “love of your life”?

We’ve all been there. But let’s turn back a few pages and see what that verse is really about.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in

Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from

the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,

God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,

Condemned sin in the flesh.

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk

Not after the flesh but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;

But they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of

God, neither indeed can it be.

So then they that in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but i the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up

 Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:

 but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, THEY are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the

 Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that

 WE SUFFER WITH HIM, THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED TOGETHER.

FOR I RECKON THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME 

ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED 

WITH THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth

 for the manifestation of the sons of God.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, 

but by reason of Him who subjected the same in hope,

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption

 into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit,

 even we ourselves groan within ourselves,

 waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

For we are saved by hope:

 BUT HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE: 

for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for what we see not, then we do with patience wait for it.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

 for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: 

but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us

 with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit

, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

AND WE KNOW ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD...

For whom he did foreknow, He also predestinate

 TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON...

Romans 8:1-29

Whew! Quite an eyeful huh? Spell-check went crazy on all that ‘King James’ lingo. ;)

Seriously though, I needed to put all this out there so we see and appreciate the context. What’s working for our good?

The PAIN. The GROANINGS. The SUFFERINGS. Everything.

Why?

Because without the pain, I won’t get the gain. I won’t BE CONFORMED.

Why do I need conforming? Cos I want to see God. I believe He exists, I believe He loves me and has made a way for my reconciliation with Him and I want to see Him. But He said I can’t see Him if I’m not Holy.

...AND HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD

Hebrews 12:14

God knows I’m not wired to be holy. He knows I’m going to want to take a peek into that magazine, watch that music video, ignore that fellowship, omit that little truth, cut that corner, bend that fact, let that gaze linger, not avoid that touch,.....

He knows this. But He still demands me be better, BE HOLY, so He helps me every way He can.

And nothing gets a mans attention better than suffering.

It’s not punishment, it’s discipline!

He needs me better, so he prunes the rough edges, He burns out those impurities, He whips me into shape. BECAUSE HE LOVES ME.

An athlete doesn’t enjoy those gruelling drills, when his heart pounds and his eyes water, his vision dims and he can’t breathe cos his chest in on fire. He doesn’t enjoy throwing up his breakfast and being too tired to eat lunch. He doesn’t enjoy the hours of aching muscles and increased spending on deodorant (at least if he has a conscience and doesn’t want to kill us all with sweat stench). But I bet you when all is said and done, and the training pays off, and he’s holding that medal with a big stupid grin on his face, all he wants to do is go hug that ‘mean’ ol’ coach that tormented him so.

It wasn’t punishment, it was discipline.

Punishment looks at our past, discipline looks at our future.

Punishment is borne of vengeance, discipline is borne of love.

God will put me through whatever it is He deems necessary to ensure my future with Him because He loves me.

So I will thank Him for the pain. I will thank Him for the hurt, the heartbreak, the disappointments, the failure, everything, because I know I’m becoming a better man.

Friend, don’t get bitter, get better.