No Pain, No Gain, Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Reading: John 9:1-7, 1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

We have heard and may have repeated it when it comes to exercise, “No pain, no gain!” When you’re on the receiving end of this pain, you’re thinking, “There had BETTER be some gain out of this pain I’m going through. I’d BETER get some playing time or the physique I’ve always wanted. There had BETTER be a really big benefit or I’m done with this.” We often transfer this mentality over to our spiritual lives as well. When we go through difficulties and trials, we often think, “There had better be a benefit from this!” And, we often times keep looking at God for the “why?” because we think so highly of ourselves that, there had BETTER be a good reason and I had better get some benefit out of it. But, here is a blind man, who wasn’t just going through a difficult time in his life, he was blind all of his life to that point. The reason? “So that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” That’s it… humbling.

What struggles or pains are you going through?


How do you think that the work of God might be displayed in your life through these trials?


How can you demonstrate this today?


REVIEW

Were you able to give the trials that you are experiencing over to God that His work might be displayed?

How did this impact your day?