No pain, no gain... We've heard the slogan many times. Without pain, we will not experience gain. In exercise, and in sports, we're told to push it to the limit- that when we are hurting, we are conditioning ourselves for our best. I remember a few years ago when I went on a weight loss program. The discipline of restraint, exercise, and eating proper foods enabled me to reach my goal. My gain was in my loss (weight loss), but it required pain to get there. The pain for me was the denial of sugar, sweets, bread, and all the southern cooking I've been accustomed to all my life. I need to go through that same process again, as I have retreated to the old lifestyle choices and put the pounds back on. But my point here is that without a process of pain (discipline) I would not have been able to be successful in my venture.
I find life is sometimes that way. In our personal experiences, our homes, marriages, and even in our churches. We are often faced with times of adversity. A physical sickness, a job loss, a crisis in a home, or even in a church. Those times leave even the strong in faith with doubts. They don't look the same, nor act the same. My son in law is going through a major disease of cancer. He is into the second month of his treatment of a stem cell transplant. Michael desperately misses people and is ready to get out of there- but he also has gone through a time when he did not want to be seen. A rash covering his body, extreme weight loss, and just the overall feeling has left him wanting to be in seclusion during this time. I remember my wife, after surgery a number of years ago, waking up in her hospital room to find a deacon of the church setting in her room. I had gone out to run some errands, and she was nautious. She was very uncomfortable being seen in that condition.
I have felt that way at times in church. Being a pastor for the past thirty five years, I have seen the pendulum swing both ways- the up seasons, and the down seasons. A church can go through transition. It can lose members, which causes its operating budget to fall. This, as a result, can affect how it looks and the flow of the services. You will find that people who can handle your health cannot handle your sickness. There are people that are your friends when you are happily married that become distant when you are divorced. And there are those who are "sent" to your church when it is on the up side that will "run" from it when it is going through a down cycle. The pastor is the same, the vision is the same, the building is the same, but people that run with you on your strength sometimes will not do so on your weakness.
I'll confess to you that I cannot always see the gain out of the pain. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I love God and trust Him, but there are times when I have difficulty seeing how gain can come out of the pain. Did God cause the pain? Is that what this verse is saying? Or, is it saying that He will simply turn around every situation and make it work for our good? That is what I get out of this verse. God didn't cause the sickness, the divorce, the split, or whatever you're going through. But if you'll look to Him, He will bring you through it. And the pain of the test will serve to make you stronger. Remember, there is no testimony without a test.
I've been teaching a series on Sundays for the last several weeks about building leaders for kingdom ministry. As Christians, we have a call to reach the world. Jesus has given us the Great Commission. I have challenged our people to live a disciplined life according to the lifestyle of Christ. This means giving up your right to be right. It means denying yourself of some things. Jesus taught his disciples not only kingdom ministry, but kingdom living.
Yeah, there will always be some that can only handle our gain. I've had them that flew through here and thought we were the best thing since sliced bread, then came back through and saw some pooh pooh, and they kept on truckin'. I'll tell you the truth, there are some Sundays when I think we can almost raise the dead, and then there are some Sundays when I think everyone is dead. There are some days when I wish we had TV cameras, and then there are days when I want to turn the lights out and go home. But church, as in life has both pain and gain. If you can't handle my pain, you might want to move out of the way. I may be waxing eloquent this Sunday, or I may be upchucking. That's life, and if you'r e looking for perfection, keep on looking.
Be encouraged and know that you can make it through whatever you're going through. Don't allow discouragement or disallusionment to steal your dream!
Cyberspace has allowed us to reach around the world, and I don't always know who I relating to. Thanks for reading, and take the time to respond.
Blessings,
Pastor Ronnie
I think the saying is a jingle to an old tv beer commercial. Wherever it originated from, it just came to my mind as I sit here relaxing on a Sunday afternoon. We had an awesome service this morning. As pastor, I tend to evaluate everything. It's just one of those things pastors are prone to do, I guess. I reflect on everything from the attendance, to how people respond, to the excitement level, to the offering level. I haven't seen the offering amount yet, but the others were pretty good. It was a great day.
