No pain, no gain

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:10-11).

Some years ago, the royal family of Greece got to know a special young man. This boy was the eldest son of the American ambassador, and while the lad was mentally brilliant, his body was afflicted with a disorder that crippled his motor functions. Queen Fredericka grew fond of the boy and often invited him to the royal palace to play with her children. One day, young prince Constantine said to his American friend, "My sister and I have been talking about you, and we have decided that you must be the favorite pupil of Jesus." "What do you mean?" the crippled boy asked. The prince replied, "Well, you know how it is. In school the best pupil is always given the hardest problem to solve. God gave you the hardest problem of all, so you must be His favorite pupil."

Health problems are very discouraging, whether they are afflicting you or someone that you love. Suffering causes us to reflect on our relationship with God and ask some hard questions. Some become angry with God, feeling that He is treating them unfairly. Some question God’s love for them, wondering how He could allow them to suffer so. And some wonder what they have done wrong, that God is punishing them in this way.

As we search the Scriptures, however, we find another explanation for why God sometimes allows our health to fail. Sometimes God permits suffering to improve our character as His children. In Romans chapter five Paul writes: We can also rejoice when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. Hebrews tells us, God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Going through hard times does not necessarily mean that God is angry with you or doesn’t care about you; consider the possibility that you can be a better Christian than you are right now, and God is challenging you to grow into that person. Every athlete in training knows: no pain, no gain.