No Gain without Pain
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As I dragged my left limb out of the car tonight, Bruce looked at me and said, “No pain; no gain.”
I wanted to punch him.
Monday, I decided to start working out again, and now I can barely walk.
Being healthy is painful. In my flesh, I’d rather be trolling Facebook while I am gorging on Hershey’s kisses.
Quitting is not an option, though. It’s not an option because I keep hearing Lysa Terkeurst in my head:
The decisions you make today matter. Every decision points your life in the direction you are about to travel. No decision is an isolated choice.
~The Best Yes, p. 64
I am determined to choose wisely. I want my direction to please Him in every way.
Like the Apostle Paul, I want to pursue Christ with every fiber of my being.
To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Yeah, that is a hard word. Do I want to know Christ? Then, I must die daily. I must press in to the pain.
Tonight, as I read Paul’s letter to Timothy, I heard the wise warrior Apostle saying to his protegé:
Never forget you are in a battle, soldier.
Here’s our marching orders:
- Stand strong in grace: When you are weak, your God is infinitely strong. His grace is sufficient to meet your every need.
- Dig in with determination: Stay in the trenches. Persevere. Endure hardship.
- Fix your eyes on Jesus: Remember you are on the winning team. God’s Word is never chained.
Tomorrow is a new day, and I’m going to put my big girl pants back on and choose wisely.
I choose Jesus. I want my all to bring him glory no matter what the cost.
No gain without pain.
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Well, yes…but only up to a point, because there are some pains, physical, spiritual, and emotional, that are beyond endurance.
I used to think I was invincible, in God’s armour. How wrong I was.
Now I can only call for His grace and mercy, to pick up that which is left of me.
You go girl! I ran again today after way too little exercise during the holidays and way too much food. I feel so much better when I do! (And I’m nicer to live with, too.)
I am sure that I will be nicer to live with soon, right? This week I’ve just been a bit grumpy. 🙂
Lyli, Grateful for the marching orders. It is so easy to give in to our old ways. Sometimes I think we can throw Paul’s words around very casually. We forget he wrote those very words while yet chained. He kept his eyes on Jesus and remembered that he was in a battle.The right focus > the right choices. Good word, Lyli, for us all!
Yes, Paul’s passion really challenges me. I want to be able to say that I’ve fought the fight and kept the faith until the very end.
Lyli, No pain, no gain. Even in God’s true. Thanks for encouraging us to push thru. Just like you.
Hugs, Susan
Susan, I am really just making sure that all of you hold me accountable. If I keep it a secret, then it’s easier to quit.
Lyli … sometimes it’s good to see those marching orders printed in black and white. Like right about now. Thanks …
I read several passages last night, Linda… but these words to Timothy really resonated with me.
Amen! Such great words to start the day, and very relevant to use guys too. Hard is normal and we do indeed have marching orders.
“To live is Christ and to die is gain.” This is such a powerful Scripture. It’s easy to trick ourselves into thinking that following Christ is supposed to be easy, but this is not what the Bible teachers. Thank you for this powerful reminder this morning–It’s something that I needed to hear.
And that you for the opportunity to share and meet new friends in the link-up. Wishing you a very happy Thursday!
Jed, thanks for taking time to leave a dude comment. I always read my posts to my man, and he says they resonate with him, but it’s nice to hear it from an unbiased brother. Looking forward to getting to know more about you and your Jen in the weeks ahead. Blessings 🙂
Way to go on the exercise, Lyli! And on this spiritual encouragement about pressing forward. I love that Lysa TerKeurst quote. It was one of the things I liked best about her book.
I’m always back to daily walking (harder in cold winter!) and I’m taking up yoga, which is harder than I imagined!
I am in themiddle of reading it right now, Betsy. Love her!
I’m cheering hard for you, friend! Both at the gym and in faith! You go girl!
Thanks, June. Hope you had a great Christmas! 🙂
Lyli, keep pushin’! Eventually the pain will subside and you’ll be so glad you didn’t quit.
Thanks, Crystal. I appreciate your encouragement so much. 🙂
Oh, Lyli, I hear ya! The pain….but also the strength and endurance you will have to serve Him and run the race He has for you! Happy New Year, my friend!
Yes, focus on the finish. Thanks for that reminder, Ellen — Happy New Year righ back at ya! 🙂
Oh, Lyli…I know I want the gain without the pain but that is rarely the way it works. Yet, God is gracious and loving and will make a way. We are to commit and obey. I want that too and still learning.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Let’s kee p learning together, Linda. Hugs
Lyli, so very inspiring!! I am finding that many faith lessons come to us *in the trenches* – and dying to self is not easy. We can only accomplish it by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. But we can help! Just like working out (good for you, by the way!!), faith muscles need to be exercised to be strengthened. I’m finding that intentionally looking for ways to be grateful feels like a new workout regimen. It’s a bit challenging right now, but I know that this *pain* is going to be great *gain*!
So, we persevere in our pursuit of HIM!
GOD BLESS!
Yes, let’s stay in the trenches together, my friend. So thankful for you! 🙂
Forget the big girl pants-honey, what you need are big girl lycra! When I got serious about my health in September, I challenged myself with an app called Couch to 5K (C25K). In eight weeks I was supposed to go from an exercise hater to running a 5K. My first day out, I had to run for 60 seconds, then walk for 90-something like 6 times. I thought I was going to die-60 seconds was brutal! But I stuck with it, and ran that 5K in December. And I am now training for a 10K. But the key to it all is looking good! Haha. Kidding. No, somewhat serious. I figured that if I was going to be out in public, I should at least wear cool clothes-hence, the lycra. It actually moves with you, so doesn’t feel constricting. Anyway, the key REALLY was focusing on God for my strength and endurance, and for my needs-gaining a whole new outlook on food (btw, I lost 25 pounds). You can do it, Lyli! Get serious, stick with it, and it will become second nature.
Thanks for being such a cheerleader and sharing your story, Mary. Hugs
We can’t. But God can. Hence I lean on him for strength and anything else I need. Thanks, neighbor. Blessings to you on your journey!