Gain Pain
We all have heard that phrase “No Pain, No Gain” but rarely is the conversation broken down to what one is willing to bear to achieve what they want to get. What IS their GAIN PAIN?
The reason I mention that is because that it is so easy for Christians to fall into that seductive trap of worldly achievement.
Money, property and prestige are very intoxicating elixirs to possess when the results are the admiration and respect of others.
The financial and social success that ‘seems’ to provide ease and comfort to life is a seductive motivation to do things you may not have done otherwise.
It is a way for us to believe this will all make our life better…but does it?
Is there freedom in that success, or is there just a gain pain?
A gain pain is the sacrifice that has to be made to reach the achievement you wish for.
Understand this:
We can have a gain pain for GOOD, just as well as we can for BAD.
☆ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
• 1 John 5:19
When we die to self, the gain pain is definitely there.
To rip off that old man, to be vulnerable as that new child in Christ.
That is an eternal gain pain.
It is just that pain will always be temporary, but the gain will be eternal glory.
But that is not what today’s scripture is speaking about.
The scripture speaks about giving up one’s soul to achieve their worldly desires.
Today’s Word speaks about how some are willing to ‘compromise to receive’.
Most of it is unseen.
Those are the people who crave power, control, wealth and property.
They are the people who will do whatever it takes to get whatever they want.
They are the private dark souls that get sold for their lusts.
But then theirs’s the other side:
The loud ones see it all over the place.
The Roseanne Barr example of “Any attention, is better than NO attention.”
The ravenous hunger for attention, the unquenchable desire for wealth, the unhealthy passion for promotion.
To be ‘liked’ on this platform, to be followed on another, to create a persona that can be considered an ‘influencer’.
Think about it…how many influencer point to GOD?
☆ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4
The scale of the world used to gauge success has been gradually becoming darker and darker.
That’s because the evil one is getting closer to defeat.
Generally speaking, it takes more and more outrageous behavior and ungodliness in nature, to be successful and have notoriety in today’s culture.
We are seeing that most of the time, we see that it takes a person having to ‘give up their soul’ to achieve ‘their worldly desires’.
THAT is an eternal gain pain too!
Sadly THIS pain is eternal death and the gain is only temporary on earth.
But we don’t have to be concerned about that.
☆ “For God so loved the whole world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
• John 3:16
So let us seek HIS eternal gain, and go through the temporary pain of
Dying to self.
Because living for HIM will free us from all pain in eternity.
THAT is a gain pain worth having!
I love you guys!
