“No Pain, No Gain” – That’s what coach always said, right?
Well, that phrase gained popularity in the early 1980s with Jane Fonda’s workout video empire.
Here idea was that muscle is built up by being broken down, it rebuilds after tearing down.
According to Wikipedia, Greek poet Hesiod(750-650) said, “before the road of excellence the immortals have placed sweat. And the way to it is long and steep, and rough at first. But, when one arrives at the summit, then it is easy, even though remaining difficult.”
Rabbi Ben Hei Hei is recorded as saying, “According to the pain is the reward”
English Poet, Robert Herrick’s version in 1650, “if little labor, little are our gains. Man’s fate is according to his pain.”
Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying “God helps those who help themselves”. In defense of this belief he wrote, “he that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains without pains…”
And one other, R.C. Trench, Dean at Westminster, said, “For the most part, they courageously accept the law of labor, no pains, no gains, no sweat, no sweet, as the appointed law and condition of man’s life.”
Why did I “chase this rabbit”? I was reading Jesus in Luke 21 talking about the end of the age.
v9 when you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed, it is necessary that these take place… but the end won’t come right away
v11 earthquakes… famines… plagues…
v12 (they will) …lay their hands on you and persecute you…
v13 this will give you an opportunity to bear witness…
v14 therefore make up your minds not to prepare a defense….
v15 (but) I will give you words of wisdom…
v17 you will be hated by everyone because of my name
v18 but not a hair of your head will be lost
v19 by your ENDURANCE, GAIN your lives
Hmmm… Coach Jesus is taking us somewhere in our focus, isn’t he?
So I began to be reminded of other scripture…
Hebrews 10:34 teaches us to accept with joy even the confiscation of our possessions because we know that we have better and enduring possessions
v35 don’t throw away your confidence
v36 … for you need ENDURANCE so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive God’s PROMISE… in a little while (v37)
Which leads my mind to James 1
v2 Consider it joy… whenever you experience various trials
v3 because you know that the TESTING of your faith produces ENDURANCE
v4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be MATURE and complete, lacking nothing
Oh it would be a good idea for you to read ALL of James 1, so much there.
But the underlying point here is that none of this life is the summit, or the tableland, it is just the journey, the preparation; the real life, the real reward, is coming.
We are working, not to gain it, but to prepare for it, and to bring others with us. We are sweating to get stronger, to serve greater, to see more opportunities, and be pleasing to our Savior who has laid the path.
Our lives are to serve him. Our pain enables us to serve him better, longer, and give greater pleasure to the one who gave it all to include us.
That took me to one other passage, Romans 5:3-5 – affliction produces endurance… endurance character… character… hope… this hope will not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Pain for Gain
