pain.

My legs hurt. Basically, tonight I got reamed in intramural soccer. Why would I spend an entire post telling you how sore I am...? Well, I'm getting there. In my pain, I was just thinking; I used to run cross country in high school, and when it got down to the bitter end, no energy left, I would picture Christ on the cross. I know it seems a little morbid, but honestly, have you ever thought about it. I know the "Passion of the Christ" was the closest thing we have to seeing Jesus truly suffering, but who even knows. When I watched that movie, I felt pain, so I can't even imagine the real deal.

I complain about the tiniest pains... Don't get me wrong though, I'm not telling you to never whine or whatever, that is your own prerogative. But seriously, our pain is nothing. Praise God that I have legs to hurt!! Praise God that I can feel those legs!! Americans turn everything around to reveal negativity. In fact, today my roommates were deciding who was going to drive on a game of "rock, paper, scissors." They claimed the winner had to drive. I thought this to be a strange concept. Usually, the loser has to drive. Hence, negative "loser" placement associates with negative "having to drive" outcome. This is to this as that is to that... our mind is drawn to the negativity automatically. It makes it very difficult to love God at times.

But back to this pain concept... He suffered. Beyond any suffering this world knows. He took on your suffering as well as His own, and then was flogged and nailed to a cross. I struggle with understanding love, but I surely understand this. I would love to say right now, "yeah, of course I will take on the burden of humanity and die for everyone." Heck, it's difficult for me to say that I would die for the people I love the most. Jesus died for those who may never know Him. He died for the worst and for the best. The man that I keep walking by and ignoring on University Ave. with the guitar, He died for him. Bill Gates... yeah, He died for him. Kristen Rupert... hard for me to believe, but yes, all the same.

Pain is good, or at least the way I see it.

First of all, it serves as a reminder. Hey, you're alive. Hey, Jesus endured one-hundred times this for you. And hey, right about now, you should start feeling good about your pain. Second of all, I would like to look at this in an exercise science light. When you work out, play a sport, run a marathon, depending on how hard you work, chances are your muscles will get sore. The pain in this sense is good though - the pain is usually caused by tiny abrasions in your muscles. When you work out and stretch and contract the muscles so much, they just kind of start to tear. As these tiny tears begin to heal, stronger tissue is produced. Good pain. Sometimes it hurts to grow, hurts to change, hurts to love. But the truth is... you are gaining strength, endurance, and what does that lead to?? Perseverance. And what does James tell us about that?? Mature faith.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
- James 1:2-4

All this to say, let the pain come. Take it. Grow in it. Remember Jesus.

Your gain, His pain.

.k10.