No Pain, No Gain

“For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” Romans 8:16-19

Think about a time you were Happiest. Think about the smile on your face, the carefree attitude you had that day, and the love you were shown. Now I want you think about what it took for you to get there. How many times have you felt like you had to earn your happiness? Like you had to go through a period of turmoil or suffering just to get to the place of solitude that you’re in now. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, that’s probably more normal than you realize. Even the bible tells us that “if we are to share [His] glory, we must also share [His] suffering” (Romans 8:17) But I think we often misconstrue what it means. The rule isn’t so much “you have to struggle to have success” but more so that success and happiness means more when there’s been struggle. Think about it. If happiness is your norm and you’re never taken from that happy place, how can you handle setback? How can you deal with hurt and pain if you don’t know what it feels like? So I’m going to give a few “different” affirmations today to help you wrap your mind around that.

Affirmation 1: Your pain is a lesson and you are a forever learner. Think about your body’s response to pain. Is it designed to make you uncomfortable just for the sake of being there, or is it a cry out that something is wrong and needs to be shifted? Holding your hand in the fire, the burning sensation isn’t just to make you feel, but to encourage you to remove your hand. Emotional pain is the same way. You are feeling it so you can learn from it and hopefully reduce the amount you experience it or at the very least your reaction to it. Keep learning it.

Affirmation 2: Hurt doesn’t last forever, but in this moment it’s protecting you. Your feelings being hurt by the experience is a way for you to guard yourself from further pain. Stop avoiding the warning signs and take heed to what is coming your way. This can also lessen hurt and painful experiences.

Affirmation 3: The reward is greater than the sacrifice. The payout should always be worth more than what you put in it. Not always right away, but eventually it’s supposed to be worth it. If you find that you are sacrificing too much of yourself and not seeing positive results, make changes so you can get back to happiness.

Hurt never feels good. But it definitely makes us appreciate our Happiness more when it’s here. Keep conquering, knowing that I love you and I’m rooting for your success. And remember, no pain, no gain!