Is part of the Christian message, "no pain, no gain"?

[Godlovesmetwo]

Uncomfortable to live in a world where love and hate coexist.

Interesting isn't it. I used to think love depended on hate as a concept anyway.

 

[Endtime Survivors]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?

I think what God really wants is for us to treat him as the top priority, but it's hard to remember that as we go through our daily lives picking up attachments here and there. Respectability, possessions, relationships; it's easy to lose focus of the priority for these lesser things.

I think God wants us to be able to enjoy this life, including the material world and relationships with others, but if those things become a higher priority than God, then it will be painful either knocking them back down a few pegs or letting go of them altogether.

 

[HenryM]

Interesting isn't it. I used to think love depended on hate as a concept anyway.

Used to? What do you think now?

 

[HenryM]

Interesting isn't it. I used to think love depended on hate as a concept anyway.

Maybe the way to look at our experience of both love and hate is with a degree. Some people who live in love, to put it that way, are at the same time more in tune to feel hate around them (not necessarily directed at them, but as a witness) than the others, so that's unpleasant.

One person can take a sip of coffee and tell which one is it, and describe nuances of it's taste. To other, all coffee tastes basically the same. They both drink the same coffee, but have senses tuned to different levels of refinement.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Used to? What do you think now?

Well I'm starting to think now that love can exist without hate. That all that existed before original sin was love. Love can be the default position without even considering that hate needs to be part of the story.

 

[Mountainmike]

True, it was a bit on the terse side

But he does have a point! John 12:25 does rather answer the question of loving life in this world.

And I feel as you do... on many occasions I feel it should be harder, a feeling , I should be doing more, and the more should be enough to suffer.

Is this how you have conversations in real life?
a) How are you today?
b) Matthew 7:11
a) Have you been busy?
b) Luke 10
a) OK, well have a nice day
b) John 4:15

 

[aiki]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?
Is such an approach frowned upon? I mean to treat daily prayer as a form of exercise. Getting fully fit and ready for battle.
This approach has some appeal to me, if it is acceptable that is.

The First and Great Commandment is to love God with all of your being. When I do, walking with God doesn't feel like arduous discipline but joyful obedience - as it should. Consider the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13. Even martyrdom is spiritually useless if it is not motivated by, and expressing love for, God. I find that the things I deeply love that require consistency, and persistency, and sacrifice do not feel onerous or rigorous to me. My love for them makes what would otherwise be a strain and a burdensome duty in pursuing them, a joy. I think this is what God intends in my relationship with Him, too. And when it is, whatever struggle and pain there may be in the journey with Him is easy and light.

Selah.

 

[thesunisout]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?
Is such an approach frowned upon? I mean to treat daily prayer as a form of exercise. Getting fully fit and ready for battle.
This approach has some appeal to me, if it is acceptable that is.

Not only pain, although living in a fallen world is painful. However, we have joy because Christ is living within us. We have the promise of eternal life, and that hope supplies limitless joy. It provides the right perspective to every situation, no matter how bad it may be.

It is a race, though:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified

 

[timewerx]

I'd say it goes deeper than that - uncomfortable with material side of our world like someone is uncomfortable with nails on the chalk board. Not to that degree, but in that direction. Uncomfortable to live in a world where love and hate coexist.

I hear it from a lot of Christians but what manifests in reality is the opposite.

It's kinda hard to say that when you're driving a BMW and done many things to give yourself a comfortable life.

 

[Anguspure]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?

When I work out I seek to cause my body sufficient stress that it thinks that its going to die in some way, but not so much stress that I cause an amount of damage that can't be repaired in a few days. If this is maintained in the physical with sufficient food and rest, huge gains can be made and we can end up in the elite range of athleticism relatively quickly (notwithstanding other limitations such as illness, disability or genetic constraints).

Athletes don't see this as a negative, rather it is a positive. They keep there eye on the goal and in fact become a bit addicted to the pain because of the positive reinforcement of each success. They know that if they are not stressing themselves in this way then they are in fact stagnant or worse degenerating, such is the nature of the world we live in.

So I think that when Paul was inspired to compare our walk to that of an athlete, that we should think about our walk before the Lord in the same way, that as we grow in our ability to Love it should be causing us some stress and pain along the way.

That in fact, if it is not causing us a bit of pain (assuming we are able to achieve sufficient spiritual food and rest and that there are not other factors holding us back) then cannot expect to be growing in the Lord.

We should keep our eyes on the goal and revel in the successes that come as a result of the way of the Kingdom so that we also can live addicted to the stress of Love.

And isn't this the meaning of the Church together that we should coaching one another to even greater works? Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10)

Is such an approach frowned upon? I mean to treat daily prayer as a form of exercise. Getting fully fit and ready for battle.
This approach has some appeal to me, if it is acceptable that is.

I don't see prayer as a form of exercise rather it is a case of meeting with the Coach before the work out begins, during the work out and as a debrief after the workout. Then we go home and have dinner with Him and He washes our feet all ready for whatever He has in store for the next day whether that is a time of rest or another round.

The battle is already on every day and every minute of every day, the fight is on.

Ding, ding!

 

[timewerx]

True, it was a bit on the terse side

But he does have a point! John 12:25 does rather answer the question of loving life in this world.

And I feel as you do... on many occasions I feel it should be harder, a feeling , I should be doing more, and the more should be enough to suffer.

It's kinda hard to prove it when we do or invest on a lot of things to give ourselves comfortable lives.

However, I'm not saying to deliberately look for misery and inflict unnecessary suffering on ourselves for no reason.

If we do what is right, according to what Christ teaches and commands and with Godly wisdom, the life would be full of troubles. We live in an evil world (1 John 5:19). If you do what is right, you will become the enemy of this evil world (John 15:19)

 

[longwait]

I don't quite get this one.
I mean I love my life now. I have nice partner, dog, car and house. I don't really want to lose any of them, especially partner.
So by being grateful for them, I am going to lose my life? what?

If you have a calling to die as a martyr for Christ but love your life too much and you would rather deny Christ and keep your temporary life here on earth then you could end up losing your soul.

Whoever acknowledges me before men I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33

 

[mcarmichael]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?
Is such an approach frowned upon? I mean to treat daily prayer as a form of exercise. Getting fully fit and ready for battle.
This approach has some appeal to me, if it is acceptable that is.

I don't think that's so far-fetched, so long as you say the right prayers.

 

[Maria.V.H]

Thank you Paul for making us think and use our brains It´s nice to see someone thinking outside of the box, thank you for challenging our minds!!! Thank you for being you!!

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Thank you Paul for making us think and use our brains It´s nice to see someone thinking outside of the box, thank you for challenging our minds!!! Thank you for being you!!

Thank you for being from Denmark!

 

[Maria.V.H]

Thank you for being from Denmark!

Thank you for being from Australia!!!!!

 

[Guide To The Bible]

Well I'm starting to think now that love can exist without hate. That all that existed before original sin was love. Love can be the default position without even considering that hate needs to be part of the story.

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

If Satan was created when God created Heaven on day one then sin (and hate) has existed as long as love has.

 

[Guide To The Bible]

Is living as a dedicated Christian like being a professional athlete? That to become more like Christ, we have to surrender to a journey of pain?
Is such an approach frowned upon? I mean to treat daily prayer as a form of exercise. Getting fully fit and ready for battle.
This approach has some appeal to me, if it is acceptable that is.

I agree with this sentiment. 'The harder the fight, the greater the reward'

Heaven will have a hierarchy. The top spots will go to the ones who fulfilled their destinies in Christ the most but really our places in Heaven have already been set.

 

[rockytopva]

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.- 2 Thessalonians 3:10

The pain of work is part of life... No pain no gain.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

'The harder the fight, the greater the reward'

I think it helps with our motivation. To think of our life as Christian Athletes. Yet we are not expecting an earthly gold medal. We are training each and every day to become tougher but at the same time having soft hearts at the right time with the right people.