No Pain = No Gain

I hate Pain. I always have. I shrink from it. I dread it. I fear it. I do everything I can to avoid it. When the pastor preaches about the suffering in the Christian life, I want to cover my ears.

But...I've been thinking. Doesn't being exceptional at anything require pain? Growing = changing = pain. Olympic athletes - don't they call pain their friend? The long hours of practice, the pushing beyond their breaking point, the grueling sessions they put their bodies through. A plant breaking through the seed - it must hurt if plants have feelings. And when you are working out -running, lifting weights, dancing- it is not doing any good if it doesn't hurt. When you feel the pain, that is when you know you are growing, changing, getting stronger. Otherwise you are just going through the motions. Even piano practice I have found is supposed to hurt. My teacher says I should wake up sore in the morning from pushing my hands, fingers, arms to play faster and louder and longer than ever before.

So, the Lack of Pain means Lack of Growth. When my life hurts, it means I am going somewhere, getting stronger, Growing, changing, becoming exceptional.

I hate the pain. But I hate the status quo, the average, the weak, the un-exceptional more. I want to become all I can be - in Every area.

So, I should love the pain. Maybe that is what it meant in the Bible when it said, "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, wehnever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work so that you may be perfectly and fully developed, lacking in nothing."

I never really understood it before. How to be excited when pain comes. Why I should be. But I guess it is just like when I'm excited when my arms feel like they are falling off when I practice octave scales or when I wake up sore after working out. I Love the Pain because I Love the Gain that comes with it.

The Motions by Matthew West sums it up:

This might hurt, it's not safe

But I know that I've gotta make a change

I don't care if I break,

At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

I'll give my all. I'll embrace the Pain because I know it's the price I must pay to be Exceptional.