No Pain No Gain

“No Pain No Gain”
By Pastor Rickey Hunt

We have all heard the saying “no pain no gain”, there is a lot of truth to that statement. When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, we will begin to experience some pain. Just because we got saved doesn’t mean that the rest of our lives will be like a bed of roses. No, not at all! If you are going to spiritually grow you will have some pain. John 15:2 reads, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit , he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” If we are going to continue to bear fruit we must go through this purging process. Purging is not easy. It is that cutting away of fleshly desires, habits, sin, etc. It is painful, but it is needed. No pain no gain! When a person has an abscessed tooth, some times that tooth will have to be taken out. This tooth is the source of the pain that he or she is feeling. This is painful, but when the dentist pulls the tooth out it will then heal and the pain will go away. This removing or purging process is the most painful, but it is necessary for spiritual growth.
Purging is painful and sometimes we feel like we can’t handle any more. Sometimes we feel emotionally overwhelmed with this purging process, but God knows how much we can handle. God will not put more on us than what we can bear. This purging process will not last forever. It is only for a season. God will deal with us and will bring encouragement to us during these difficult times.
You may ask “how does God work this purging process within us?” Proverbs 16:6 reads “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged…” We must understand that God knows how painful this purging process is. God is not an angry judge waiting for us to mess up where he can bring judgment upon us. No! God comes with mercy, not anger. God is not like us in this manner. We have a tendency to be judgmental, lacking in patience, and no tolerance toward mistakes. No, God is very merciful, and full of compassion. It is during hard times like these that we begin to understand how good God really is.