Sometimes, Choose Pain
I don’t have any tattoos. I often tell people that I have a conviction against them, because I have a conviction against unnecessary pain!
And yet, sometimes, I choose pain. I did at the dentist a month or so ago. I chose short-term pain in order to avoid long-term tooth loss. Every time I workout, I choose pain. You know the saying, “No pain, no gain.” It’s painful to have tough conversations, but it’s usually best to have them anyway.
When it comes to gaining life’s best, it’s important to sometimes choose pain for the long-term benefits that come from it.
And so it is with godliness.
Let’s face it, there are some sins that are fun. Right? In fact, I’d venture to say that almost all of them are. Otherwise, temptation would not be a problem. We give in to temptation because, in the moment, we are drawn to the pleasure of whatever we indulge in. Even though, in our heart of hearts, we know that sin hurts in the end.
But it’s like putting off going to the dentist, or eating junk food that we know will add weight and clog arteries. Our spiritual myopia keeps us from seeing the long-term effects of sin, and the thirst for immediate pleasure clouds our thinking.
Sometimes doing the right thing is painful. A man in our church was fired when he told his supervisor that his Christian faith would not permit him to lie. His job loss was painful. A friend’s wife divorced him because he would not consent to shared immorality. In many cases, doing the right thing is painful, and almost always, it’s uncomfortable.
Hebrews 11:25 says, “[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”
And that’s the choice before us every time we are tempted. Am I going after what is fleeting or long-lasting pleasure? Will I choose pain in the short run in order to enjoy long-term satisfaction?
Sometimes, it’s best to choose pain. Because that pain will pay off with wonderful benefits for ourselves and our loved ones; benefits that are not fleeting, but last forever.
That’s why I chose pain in the dentist’s chair. Let's all choose short-term pain for the same reason, daily.