My friend Nancee recently went through major surgery. In fact, her surgery involved three separate surgeries. She’s going to feel pretty “beat up” for a while during the healing process.
So why did she do this?
To improve her physical health.
Many worthwhile pursuits in life require serious effort: undergoing medical procedures, getting our bodies into shape, learning new skills, dealing with relationship problems, maturing in the Lord, etc.
In addition, many of these things require a process that includes “good pain.”
If we foolishly refuse “good pain,” we end up living with “bad pain.”
“No pain, no gain” is true for most things in life. Those of us who are seniors can attest to this truth. And those of us who are Christian seniors can attest to it with the additional truths listed below.
If you are suffering “good pain” today, may these verses encourage you!
Spiritual "training" involves “good pain”:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Christian trials are “good pain”:
James 1:2-4: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
1 Peter 1:7: "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
Even when something feels like “bad pain” God can turn it into “good pain”:
Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
“Good pain” is part of Christian maturity:
Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
God is always with us, no matter what we are suffering:
Romans 8:35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"
These are some of the wonderful benefits of “good pain”:
Romans 5:3-5: "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Bible Love Notes
Bible Love Notes
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