<\/p>\n
\u201cFor our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself\u201d (Philippians 3:20,21).<\/p>\n
IF WE MAKE RIGHT CHOICES IN OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD PAIN, IT CAN HAVE A \u201cREFINING\u201d EFFECT ON US. We can be better people, with purer hearts, as a result of having experienced difficulty and overcome it. Indeed, pain can leave us with character qualities so beautiful they are fit to be taken into eternity with us.<\/p>\n
None of us can rightly deny that our characters need some refining. If we compare ourselves to other sinful people, it may appear that the shape we\u2019re in is not all that bad. But that\u2019s the wrong comparison. The standard of comparison is Jesus Christ.<\/em> A character like His is what we\u2019d have right now if we\u2019d never sinned, and that\u2019s what God is wanting us to have in eternity.<\/p>\n Pain is a part of the process of renovation and renewal that we need to undergo. Given the seriousness of our malady \u2014 by our sinful choices, we have declared stubborn rebellion against the God of heaven \u2014 we shouldn\u2019t wonder that radical surgery is needed to fix the problem. Cutting away the cancer that has invaded our souls can\u2019t be done without our feeling some pain.<\/p>\n But God\u2019s work of character renovation won\u2019t need to go on always. If we\u2019ve been cooperative while the renovation was being done, there\u2019ll come a time when we\u2019re ready \u2014 ready to inhabit a realm where there is no more rebellion against God and no more irresponsibility. We\u2019re not there yet, but the time is surely coming.<\/p>\n So we need to remember the passing nature of pain. It\u2019s an ugly reality, yes, but even now it\u2019s not all of reality, and when compared to the reality that\u2019s ahead \u2014 it\u2019s waiting for those who\u2019ve sought God faithfully \u2014 pain can be clearly seen as a temporary problem. At present, it happens that we\u2019re still in the temporary part of God\u2019s scheme of redemption. But the eternal part is coming, and that\u2019s where our hearts and minds need to be fixed: \u201cFor our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe beauty remains; the pain passes\u201d (Auguste Renoir).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n