Lean Into The Pain

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."—John 12:23-24

No man likes to be broken, but inevitably we will experience a breaking in our life. Some men are encountering a breaking right now in their marriage, work, relationships, or finances. And it’s human nature to try to avoid understanding, embracing, and reconciling the issues that surround this pain. Yet if we continue a mission of pain avoidance, it will lead to increasing pain—not the relief we so desperately seek.

So what if instead, we looked beyond pain avoidance, to the benefits on the other side of pain?

Jesus suggests that the man who embraces the breaking and loss has the potential for surprising produce. While the principle applies to a grain of wheat, there is a more glorious principle he’s trying to teach. The principle is loss resulting from breaking, and death is painful yet has the potential to yield new life and long-term produce. He’s clear that the pain which comes from loss, death, and brokenness has benefits if we look beyond the pain. It’s a promised rebirth if we can embrace some temporary discomfort. So here’s a question for you today. Could your propensity for pain avoidance be keeping you from the new life and the results you want?

DO THIS: Lean into the pain.

PRAYER: God, I need your help today, embracing a pain that I’ve been avoiding for too long. Increase my endurance and willingness and help me to have a longer view beyond the present circumstantial pain.