Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
If I ask someone whether pain is good or bad, the most likely answer the person might give me without much thinking is that pain is bad. Yes, pain is not something desired or loved by any, but it is not all pains that can be said to be bad.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of pain. There is the Destructive Pain and there is Constructive Pain. The destructive is to be avoided, while the constructive is to be embraced.
There are different occasions that we have talked about these two categories of pain, and tagged them: Pain of Discipline and Pain of Regret. There is no one in life that can escape both of these pains at the same time all through his or her life. If you embrace one, you will escape the other. If you avoid one, you will attract the other. That is just how it goes. Hence, wisdom requires you to know the one to embrace, so that you can escape the other.
In the passage above, JESUS embraced the pain of crucifixion, and as a result, HE attracted the pleasure of glorification, which lifted HIM far above all others...
Philippians 2:8-9
"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:"
To rise in life, you must embrace the pain of discipline, thereby avoiding the pain of regret.
That was the greatest undoing of Esau, who because of temporary hunger, sold his birthright for food he could actually prepare by himself, if he tried to endure the hunt for just one hour. Nothing stopped him from going to the kitchen to do it by himself, but he didn't want to stress himself at all...he eventually did something like that when his father placed a demand on him
so it wasn't that he couldn't do it
Genesis 25:29-34
"And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
Genesis 27:31
And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
We were later admonished in the New Testament not to follow the example of Esau who could not endure temporary discomfort towards manifestation of a glorious destiny...
Hebrews 12:16-17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
Apostle Paul, by the SPIRIT of GOD, gave a very sound counsel to his protege, Timothy in...
2 Timothy 2:3
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Many people fail to rise in life because they can't endure anything. There is a level of success you cannot attain in life if you run away from the pain of discipline. Every true glory has some forms of necessary afflictions attached to it, but the good thing about it is that the affliction would eventually draw a heavy weight of glory in comparison...
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Many people we call stars, or high achievers in life have master the act of subjecting themselves to some inconveniences in order to attain great success in life.
A boxing champion is not made in the boxing ring where his hands would be lifter up by the referee after a boxing match, and a big belt put around his waist, with enough 'zeros' behind a figure that would be sent to his bank account. The making of such champion is in his daily workout routine...his early rising, even when he would feel like continuing his sleep on his comfortable bed...his choice of food to eat, even when he would feel like eating some other types of food...and much more, add to his emergence as the champion. Champions are not made in the ring, there are merely recognized there.
Prayer: FATHER, please help me to be willing to embrace the pain of discipline that would cause me to rise higher than I have ever risen in life in JESUS' NAME
Apostle Paul was a high flier in his own field of play...higher than others...
1 Corinthians 15:10
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
But if you watch him closely, he gave himself to the pain of discipline...
1 Corinthians 9:27
"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
Success in life sometimes entails that you do what you hate to get what you want.
I loved my grandmother when she was alive...when she would come and pay us a visit in Lagos. She used to come with so many edibles...foodstuff and all manners of fruits, and I loved her for it. But there was another part of her that I didn't like. It was her enforcement of local medicinal concoction (Agbo we call it in Yoruba language) that I didn't like. She did it with so much zeal that she came up with a law that until you drank the herbal drink in the morning, no breakfast for you...and my parents would just do as if they didn't care what she did, when I would be expecting them to fight my battle of not taking the 'herbal drink'. I would initially resist taking it, especially when the others taking it spoilt their mouths, or had a kind of countenance that shouted loud to me that it was bitter. But after a while that hunger had wired my head, I would succumb to drinking it. So painful to me though, but I had to endure the pain to enjoy the pleasure of the food set before me. And apart from that, I didn't go to the hospital in my early years till I got to Secondary school.
Prayer: FATHER, please help me to do what I need to do to avoid pains of regret in this life in JESUS' NAME
Prayer: FATHER, please show me YOUR Great Mercy, and let every pain of regret I am presently experiencing be miraculously converted to favourable and gracious blessing from YOU in JESUS' NAME
That must have been the way Rebekah felt when she was going through pregnancy pains.
Genesis 25:22-23
"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
When a pregnant mother goes into the delivery room, there would be some forms of travailing. I tell you, the discomfort that some of them go through at such times cannot only be fully expressed by them at times...but merely watching them as they groan and move their bodies in discomfort, you can tell that it wouldn't be 'a piece of cake kind of pain'. But you know what? In some hours afterwards, that same woman would be smiling and be congratulated by everyone that would come around. Gifts would be brought on account of the baby and given to her. Special celebration would be organized for the delivery. Pastors, whether they like it or not, no matter how busy they claim to be, must find their ways to her house, at least to conduct the naming ceremony. That kind of pain is a forerunner of a glorious celebration.
Prayer: FATHER, please open the eyes of my understanding to know the pains to avoid, and the ones to embrace in JESUS' NAME
There is this story of a man that was walking along the woods, that is forest. He suddenly saw a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon. As this was happening, the butterfly was struggling so hard to emerge. One wing was already out, and the struggle continued. This man beheld the sight of the emerging butterfly with pity, and decided to help it stop the pain by cutting the cocoon wherein the other wing was trapped. He took out his pen-knife, and sliced the cocoon. What he saw shocked him. He saw that the content of the cocoon was in a liquid form. What he didn't know was that the struggle of the butterfly was helping it to knit the colourful wing, in which he aborted the process. The down-side to that story is that the butterfly became crippled all its life-time unable to fly because that second wing never got formed. He aborted the painful process that should lead to a colourful destiny
Even when life throws a hard punch at you, don't give up or give in, endure the punches of life and keep on fighting and forging forward.
GOD loves to help such people...those that don't give up so easily...
Job was such a fighter...
Job 13:15
"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."
Job 42:10
"And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."
The mighty men of David were helped by GOD because they refused to give up or give in
2 Samuel 23:8-12
"These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: 10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory."
One thing you will notice in this passage of the scripture is the phrase, "...and the LORD wrought a great victory...".
GOD helps the courageous.
And courage is not the absence of fear, but it is the moving forward to do the necessary inspire of fear.
There are some pains that are necessary for success.
You must identify and embrace them.
Prayer: FATHER, please crown all my efforts with great success or victory from YOU in JESUS' NAME
There are times we find ourselves in the valleys of life...a place of low pasture, a place of dullness, a place things are not happening the way we want it.
Valley experiences are not the most desirable experiences, but there is something good that GOD brings out of it. That is why HE is called the LILY of the valley.
Valley experience has some elements of beauty in it that cannot be gotten on the mountain-top
Songs of Solomon 2:1-2
"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. 2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."
David knew that the next phase after a valley experience is divine settlement...
Psalm 23:4-5
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."
A very wealthy businessman was talking about a very top ranking business lady he met in one of his business meetings. This woman, as at then, was the vice president of an empire of business. He went to her, and asked how she got to that position. She smiled and said something happened years back that formed her decision. She said she was a full housewife, and one day she asked her husband for some money to do some necessary things, and her husband said "What for?". She said she made up her mind never to ask for money again. Then she started seeking for business opportunities, attending some seminars, and she became this powerful big income lady. Her disgust that brought pain to her worked for her good
Out of the ashes of your unpleasant experience comes the beauty of a pleasant experience.
GOD HIMSELF had already prepared a composition package for every painful experience.
Isaiah 61:3
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
There is always something better that comes after any painful experience if you don't allow yourself to be too depressed and distracted to eventually receive it.
Use even hurtful pain to rise like the eagle.
SOME AREAS OF DISCIPLINE YOU NEED TO EMBRACE
1 PRAYING
1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray without ceasing."
2 PLANNING
Luke 14:28-30
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."
3 PRAISING
1 Thessalonians 5:18
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
4 PREPARING
Joshua 1:10-11
"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it."
This message was prepared.
5 POSITIVE PRONOUNCING: Learn to speak positively always. There are some things you should not say, just as GOD corrected Jeremiah...
Jeremiah 1:6-7
"Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak."
Joel 3:10
"Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong."
6 PERSEVERING: Don't give up. Even if you fall, get up and move on.
Galatians 6:9
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Micah 7:8
"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me."
7 PRODUCING: It is easier to pretend than to produce. Choose to be productive.
Matthew 25:20-21
"And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
** FINAL WORD**
1 Peter 5:10
"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
PRAYERS
1 FATHER, thank YOU for YOUR ever lovingkindness towards me and my family members in JESUS' NAME.
2 FATHER, please have mercy and forgive me of everything that could hinder my prayers from being answered by YOU in JESUS' NAME.
3 FATHER, please help me to be willing to embrace the pain of discipline that would cause me to rise higher than I have ever risen in life in JESUS' NAME.
4 FATHER, please help me to do what I need to do to avoid pains of regret in this life in JESUS' NAME.
5 FATHER, please show me YOUR Great Mercy, and let every pain of regret I am presently experiencing be miraculously converted to favourable and gracious blessing from YOU in JESUS' NAME.
6 FATHER, please open the eyes of my understanding to know the pains to avoid, and the ones to embrace in JESUS' NAME.
7 FATHER, please crown all my efforts with great success or victory from YOU in JESUS' NAME.
8 FATHER, please promote me far above my widest imagination, and sustain me with YOUR GRACE there in JESUS' NAME.
9 FATHER, please help me, every member of my family and friends to make Heaven gloriously and with ease in the fullness of our times in JESUS' NAME.
10 I cover the answers to these prayers with the BLOOD of JESUS, unto unhindered manifestations in JESUS' NAME.
*** Thank GOD for answered prayers